Haas

Steiner warns F1 talent "shelf life" expires earlier

Sam Hall Saturday 12 June 2021 13:44

Steiner warns F1 talent "shelf life" expires earlier

Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has warned that F1 rookies getting younger and younger is bringing down the "shelf life" of the sport's current stars.

When championship leader Max Verstappen made his debut in 2015, the Dutchman was just 17 years and 166 days old.

This is a record that remains unbroken but although the grid features three drivers over the age of 35 [Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso], there are 11 drivers aged 25 or younger, including both rookie Haas drivers.

"They start karting very young and that’s here to stay," said Steiner. "Your reflexes are better when you’re young, your motivation is higher, and I think it’s good for the sport to have young people coming along.

"That’s nothing against older guys, so they shouldn’t be upset with me about it, but we all have a shelf life. I think that shelf life stays the same, it just starts younger and ends younger now.”

AlphaTauri rookie Yuki Tsunoda is the youngest driver on the grid at 21-years-old but of the current line-up, four drivers made their debuts as teenagers - Verstappen, Lando Norris, Lance Stroll and now-39-year-old Alonso.

Steiner added: “These days the drivers come in younger anyway, not just now but probably from the last few years or so the drivers have been entering Formula 1 younger than the old days. It’s a trend.

"Obviously, they get older quicker – or they get older younger, I would say."

Latest News

F1 News & Gossip

F1 star celebrates exciting announcement as pregnancy update revealed

2 hours ago

F1 News & Gossip

Hamilton’s STAR-STUDDED Christmas celebrations recalled in girlfriend anecdote

Yesterday 22:56

Lando Norris

Norris RETURNS F1 rival’s secret Santa gift

Yesterday 18:58

F1 Superstars

Hamilton SNUBBED by F1 rivals in crushing Verstappen defeat

Yesterday 14:59

Christmas Feature

F1 2024 stars reimagined as ICONIC Christmas movie characters

Yesterday 10:57

F1 Off The Track

F1 star teases driver replacement in 2025 reveal

December 24, 2024 22:58

More news

F1 News 24/7

Races

About GPFans

GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.

We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.

With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.

Follow us on your favorite social media channel

Corporate & Media

Innovatieweg 20C
7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860

CHOOSE YOUR COUNTRY

Steiner warns F1 talent "shelf life" expires earlier

Steiner warns F1 talent "shelf life" expires earlier