Every driver here was winning kart races before they could legally drive on public roads. Some turned that early speed into world titles, others into one famous Sunday.
1Max VerstappenDominant European karting champion who became the youngest Grand Prix winner at 18 and a multiple world champion.1000pts
2Ayrton SennaTwice runner-up at the karting world championship before winning 41 Grands Prix and three F1 titles.757pts
3George RussellCIK-FIA European karting champion who became a Grand Prix winner with Mercedes.615pts
4Oscar PiastriAustralian karting standout who won every junior single-seater title en route to McLaren Grand Prix wins.515pts
5Esteban OconKarting rival of Verstappen as a child who won the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix for Alpine.515pts
6Giancarlo FisichellaItalian karting front-runner who won three Grands Prix, including Brazil 2003 for Jordan.515pts
7Kimi RäikkönenFinnish karting star who jumped almost straight to F1 and won the 2007 world title with Ferrari.515pts
8Fernando AlonsoJunior karting world champion in 1996 who became a two-time F1 world champion with Renault.454pts
9Riccardo Patrese1969 karting world champion who won six Grands Prix across a then-record 256 starts.454pts
10Carlos Sainz Jr.Spanish karting champion and son of a rally legend who became a multiple Grand Prix winner.454pts
11Alain ProstFrench karting champion as a teen who became a four-time F1 world champion.454pts
12Sebastian VettelGerman karting champion who won his first Grand Prix at 21 for Toro Rosso and four straight titles with Red Bull.384pts
13Jenson ButtonYoungest-ever European Formula A karting champion in 1997, later 2009 F1 world champion.384pts
14Lando NorrisYoungest-ever CIK-FIA world karting champion at 14 who went on to win Grands Prix with McLaren.384pts
15Heikki KovalainenWinner of the 2000 Elf Masters karting event who took his only Grand Prix win in Hungary 2008.384pts
16Robert KubicaFirst foreigner to win the Italian karting championship, later Poland's first F1 race winner in Canada 2008.384pts
17Mika HäkkinenFive-time Finnish karting champion who won back-to-back F1 titles with McLaren in 1998 and 1999.384pts
18Kimi AntonelliItalian karting champion fast-tracked to Mercedes, winner of the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix at 19.303pts
19Michael SchumacherGerman junior karting champion at 15 who went on to a record-equalling seven F1 world titles.303pts
20Charles LeclercMonegasque karting prodigy and Jules Bianchi protégé who became Ferrari's lead Grand Prix winner.206pts
21Pierre GaslyFrench karting champion who won the 2020 Italian Grand Prix for AlphaTauri.206pts
22Lewis HamiltonBritain's youngest cadet karting champion, signed by McLaren at 13, later a seven-time F1 world champion.206pts
23Nico RosbergEuropean Formula A karting runner-up as a teenager and 2016 F1 world champion with Mercedes.206pts
24Jarno Trulli1991 karting world champion who won the 2004 Monaco Grand Prix from pole for Renault.206pts
Photo credits
- Max Verstappen — Steffen Prößdorf, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ayrton Senna — madagascarica from Verneuil Grand, France, CC BY 2.0
- George Russell — Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0
- Oscar Piastri — Liauzh, CC BY 4.0
- Giancarlo Fisichella — Morio, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Kimi Räikkönen — XaviYuahanda, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Fernando Alonso — United Autosports, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Riccardo Patrese — Stuart Seeger, CC BY 2.0
- Carlos Sainz Jr. — LucaFazPhoto, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Alain Prost — Thesupermat, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sebastian Vettel — Andrea Diodato, CC BY 4.0
- Jenson Button — Morio, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Lando Norris — Original: Steffen Prößdorf; Derivative work: Mb2437, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Heikki Kovalainen — SF-R, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Robert Kubica — bonebeast, CC BY 2.0
- Mika Häkkinen — Sven Mandel, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Kimi Antonelli — Steffen Prößdorf, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Michael Schumacher — F1fans, CC BY 2.0
- Charles Leclerc — Gabriel Hutchinson, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Pierre Gasly — Morio, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Lewis Hamilton — Jen Ross, CC BY 2.0
- Nico Rosberg — Joaquin.ignacio.mc, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Jarno Trulli — 12, CC BY-SA 2.0
