Sebastian Vettel became Formula One’s youngest World Champion at the time by winning the 2010 title at age 23.
Vettel entered the final race in Abu Dhabi behind Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso in the standings, but he won from pole position while Alonso finished seventh. That result gave Vettel the championship by four points over Alonso. Vettel was 23 years and 134 days old when he secured the title, breaking Lewis Hamilton’s previous age record.
The championship was Vettel’s first and Red Bull Racing’s first drivers’ and constructors’ titles. Vettel had been a regular front-runner throughout the season, winning five races, including the finale, while teammate Mark Webber also remained in contention late in the year.
The wording “at the time” matters because Vettel’s record was later surpassed. Max Verstappen became younger when he won the 2021 championship, so Vettel is no longer Formula One’s youngest champion overall. He remains the youngest champion in the history of Red Bull Racing’s first title-winning season.