Fernando Alonso surpasses Michael Schumacher
After a challenging and unlucky start to the season, Fernando Alonso has steadily returned to the points-paying positions, thanks in part to the improvements made to the Aston Martin AMR25. At the Austrian Grand Prix, the two-time world champion was one of only two drivers, alongside Liam Lawson, to attempt the one-stop pit strategy—an approach that Pirelli had initially advised against. This bold strategy paid off, allowing Alonso, driving car number 14, to secure seventh place and successfully defend it from a late attack by Gabriel Bortoleto with an impressive defensive effort.
Seeing Fernando Alonso celebrate earning six world championship points at nearly 44 years of age and congratulate his protégé Gabriel Bortoleto—who scored his first-ever top-10 finish—is a heartwarming conclusion to an otherwise uneventful Grand Prix that lacked many exciting moments. With this result at the Red Bull Ring, at exactly 43 years and 11 months old, Fernando Alonso has officially become the oldest driver to score Formula 1 world championship points since 1975, surpassing the legendary Michael Schumacher.
The data
Here is the top 10 list of the oldest Formula 1 drivers to score points in the last 50 years.
| Pos. | Driver | Grand Prix | Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fernando Alonso | 2025 Austrian GP | 43 years, 11 months |
| 2 | Michael Schumacher | 2012 Brazilian GP | 43 years, 10 months, 22 days |
| 3 | Jacques Laffite | 1986 French GP | 42 years, 7 months, 15 days |
| 4 | Mario Andretti | 1982 Italian GP | 42 years, 6 months, 15 days |
| 5 | Kimi Räikkönen | 2021 Mexican GP | 42 years, 21 days |
| 6 | Nigel Mansell | 1994 Australian GP | 41 years, 3 months, 5 days |
| 7 | René Arnoux | 1989 Canadian GP | 40 years, 11 months, 14 days |
| 8 | Vittorio Brambilla | 1978 Austrian GP | 40 years, 9 months, 2 days |
| 9 | Lewis Hamilton | 2025 Austrian GP | 40 years, 5 months, 22 days |
| 10 | Clay Regazzoni | 1979 Canadian GP | 40 years, 25 days |
Looking further back in time, it was more common for drivers to score points beyond the age of 40 because, in the early decades of Formula 1, the average age on the grid was significantly higher. For this reason, it will be almost impossible to break the all-time record held by Philippe Etancelin, who finished fifth at the 1950 Italian Grand Prix at the age of 53 years and 8 months. Nevertheless, with his performance yesterday, Fernando Alonso has entered the top 20 in the all-time ranking of oldest drivers to score points in Formula 1 history.
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