Precocious teenagers to make F1 history at Spa

Sunday, 28 August 2016, will be a historic day for Formula 1 as two teenagers will race in a grand prix for the first time in the history of the sport, as nineteen year old Esteban Ocon joins eighteen year old Max Verstappen on the grid for the Belgian Grand Prix.

Verstappen has already rewritten the record books by becoming, at seventeen, the youngest Formula 1 driver when he made his debut at the 2015 Australian Grand Prix, then went on to be the youngest F1 points scorer, youngest race leader and of course youngest winner when he powered to a sensational victory at the Spanish Grand Prix in May this year.

Meanwhile Ocon has impressed with his FP1 outings for Renault, as well as testing for Force India and Mercedes. With Rio Haryanto running out of funds to keep his place at Manor, Mercedes have fast-tracked the youngster from their DTM programme to the F1 grid.

His DTM record has hardly been stellar, but his single seater credentials are impeccable - he was the 2014 FIA European Formula 3 Champion and 2015 GP3 Series Champion.

Verstappen and Ocon have history in the junior categories where they raced together, the former was a match for the Dutchman, but Verstappen's meteoric rise to F1 race winner is a tough act to follow.

Ocon acknowledged, "He is the reference because I was racing with him. At the end I won the title but he was a tough guy to beat."

"We had some great fights," recalled Ocon. ""He went through and he did really good in F1 so he's a reference and I hope to do even better than him. I hope to have some more fights with him in the future, that's what I am working for."

The pair were part of the F1 driver's press conference ahead of the race weekend at Spa, along with the likes of F1 'veterans' Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.

When Verstappen was referred to as an 'old hand' at Formula 1 during the conference by a journalist, Hamilton quipped, "If he’s old, what are the rest of us?"

And Alonso added, "At least to me. You are still young!"

When pressed about their youth, Verstappen said, "I think in the end it doesn’t really matter where you come from as long as you do a good job. Once you’re in Formula 1 it’s up to yourself to show that you’re ready. I don’t think it has to be in F3 or GP3. Once you go to Formula 1 you have to show it."

"I agree," said Ocon who will race with number 31 on his car. "Age is just a number in the end, you have to show that you are capable of driving in F1 and to show to the right people."

"I think that’s the most important thing. When you arrive in F1 then you have to deliver like Max did. That’s the target for me as well, when I come here," added Ocon.

Ocon will be the tenth teenager to race in Formula 1, after Verstappen, Ricardo Rodriguez, Chris Amon, Mike Thackwell, Esteban Tuero, Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel, Jaime Alguersuari and Daniil Kvyat.

Move aside Rolex, it's a good time for the pimple cream manufacturers to make the most the sponsorship opportunities that have arisen in this new era of Formula 1...

Youngest drivers to win a Grand Prix:

Youngest drivers to become F1 world champion:

Youngest drivers to have set a Grand Prix pole position:

Youngest drivers to have started a Grand Prix:

Youngest drivers to have scored one or more F1 point:

Youngest drivers to have finished on the Grand Prix podium: