Who was the oldest driver to enter Formula One? How old was he?
The oldest driver to ever enter a Formula One Louis Chiron, who came out of retirement to drive in his home Grand Prix in Monaco one more time in 1958. On the 18th of May, Chiron, however, was a spectator. Born on 3 August 1899 and thus aged 58 years, 9 months and 15 days, he did not qualify for the Grand Prix. Two years earlier, he had also tried, but that time his Maserati engine stood in the way of competing in his beloved Grand Prix (he started his first Monaco Grand Prix back in 1930). Before that, the oldest driver to start a Grand Prix was Frenchman Philip Etancelin, who in 1952 classified eighth in his home race at the ripe old age of 55 years, 6 months and 9 days. The oldest driver in recent times to compete in a Grand Prix was Nigel Mansell. The Briton raced in his final Grand Prix in 1995, when he drove in the Spanish Grand Prix for McLaren, aged 41 years, 9 months and 6 days.
