5 F1 drivers feat. Max Verstappen who had a win as their first podium

Max Verstappen famously claimed victory at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix to become the youngest ever F1 race winner. In doing so, he entered a very exclusive list of drivers who have a win as their first Formula 1 podium. Let's take a look at five such drivers from the sport's history.

From Giuseppe Farina to Max Verstappen, only a select few F1 drivers have had the unique honor of standing on the highest pedestal in their very first podium appearance. Here are five such names.

5 drivers who had a win as their F1 first podium (ft. Max Verstappen)

Giuseppe Farina

Giuseppe Farina won the inaugural F1 race at the 1950 British Grand Prix, making him the first entrant on this list. The Italian driver also won the Swiss Grand Prix the same year and went on to become the first-ever F1 Drivers' World Champion with Alfa Romeo.

Emerson Fittipaldi

Emerson Fittipaldi had only competed in four F1 races before he won the 1970 US Grand Prix at Watkins Glen with Lotus to mark his first podium appearance. Over the course of his career, the Brazilian went on to claim two Drivers' titles, 14 wins, and a total of 35 podiums. At 25 years old in 1972, he became the youngest F1 world champion at the time, a record he held for 33 years.

Sebastian Vettel

Sebastian Vettel at the 2010 Brazilian Grand Prix - Source: Getty

Sebastian Vettel announced himself to the world when he converted his shock pole position to victory at the 2008 Italian Grand Prix, driving for Red Bull's junior team, Toro Rosso. The future 4x world champion became the youngest F1 race winner at the time, claiming the first of his 53 career wins.

Pastor Maldonado

Pastor Maldonado achieved the stuff of dreams when he claimed his maiden F1 win at the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix. The Williams driver was promoted to pole after Lewis Hamilton's disqualification in qualifying, and he converted it into a victory. Maldonado became the only Venezuelan to ever win an F1 race in Barcelona that day, with this being his solitary win or podium finish in his career.

Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen after the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix - Source: Getty

Max Verstappen was already considered a future star before he stepped in to make his Red Bull debut at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix. But the Dutchman exceeded any prior expectations when he won the race in Barcelona, becoming the youngest F1 race winner ever at the age of just 18.

Verstappen has been at Red Bull since and has added 67 race wins and 122 podium finishes to his tally, as of October 31, 2025. Not to mention, the 28-year-old has also claimed four Drivers' Championships and is in pursuit of a fifth in the 2025 F1 season.

In total, 22 drivers have a win as their first F1 podium. However, only 15 of them have been full-time drivers, with the remaining seven achieving the feat by winning the Indy 500 during its brief inclusion in the World Championship from 1950 to 1960.

Juan Manuel Fangio, Jack Brabham, and Alan Jones are some of the other notable names who also feature on the aforementioned list.

Edited by Riddhiman Sarkar