Top 5 Formula 1 records that will never be broken

Formula 1 has been around for over 70 years. Many legendary drivers have stepped foot in the series and set several records for others to beat. However, there are a few records that will most probably never be matched or surpassed.

5: Oldest driver to start a Formula 1 race

In the modern era of Formula 1, drivers start their careers very early and can last for a long time if they're good enough. In 2021, Kimi Raikkonen is the oldest driver on the grid, racing at the staggering age of 41. However, the Iceman would have to race for another 14 years to equal the record of the oldest driver to start a Grand Prix.

This record currently belongs to Louis Chiron. The Monegasque set the record during the 1995 Monaco Grand Prix, driving for Italian team Lancia. Chiron was 55 years and 292 days old when he started his home race. It is safe to say that no driver in the modern era of Formula 1 will ever race into their 50s.

4: Youngest driver to start a Formula 1 race

It is now impossible to break the record for the youngest race starter in Formula 1. In 2016, the FIA set the minimum age rule to enter Formula 1 at 18 years. This means that Max Verstappen's record of being the youngest Grand Prix starter at 17 years and 166 days is here to stay.

Max Verstappen is also the youngest points scorer in Formula 1 history. He scored his first points in the series at 17 years and 180 days. This record will also remain unbroken for the foreseeable future.

3: Most consecutive retirements

Formula 1 has come leaps and bounds in terms of car reliability. Many races in the modern era of the series end without retirements, making this record almost impossible to match or surpass.

From 1985 to 1986, Italian driver Andrea de Cesaris had 18 straight retirements. To put this into context, the 2020 Formula 1 season was 17 races long. This means that had a driver retired from every race in the season, he would still fall one race short of claiming the record.

Apart from the most consecutive retirements, de Cesaris also holds the record for the most DNFs in Formula 1 with a total of 148 retirements.

2: Closest qualifying result

The record for the closest qualifying result in Formula 1 took place at the 1997 season-finale at Jerez. Three drivers were "separated" by 0.000 seconds.

Ferrari's Michael Schumacher and the two Williams cars of Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Jacques Villeneuve set an identical lap time of 1.21.072. The FIA decided the grid positions by the order in which the drivers set the laps.

With Villeneuve setting the time first, he started the race on pole, followed by Schumacher and then Frentzen.

1: Fewest pole positions in a championship winning season

In the modern age of Formula 1, pole positions have become an integral part of winning a Grand Prix. At certain venues like Monaco and Imola, where overtaking is nearly impossible, the driver on pole usually takes the checkered flag.

This makes Denny Hulme and Niki Lauda's achievements in 1967 and 1984 remarkable. The Kiwi and the Austrian won their respective championships without qualifying on pole in the entire season.

Denny Hulme, who raced for Brabham, never secured pole position and only won two races to take home the 1967 championship.

Niki Lauda also holds the record for winning a championship by the smallest margin. He beat Alain Prost to the title by 0.5 points, another feat that is unlikely to be broken.