Formula 1 drivers will tell you their birthday is just another day at the office, but for a select few, they’ve picked up a pretty rare gift. This past Sunday, Alex Albon became just the ninth driver in history to lead a lap of a Grand Prix on his birthday, a feat as rare as a wet Abu Dhabi GP.
The Atlassian Williams Racing driver found himself at the front of the field on Lap 16 in China, and what a lap it was. So, who else has managed this birthday achievement?
Let’s take a look at the drivers who have led on their big day.
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The Birthday Leaders Club
Alex Albon – China 2025 (29th birthday)
The latest addition to the club, Alex took the lead in Shanghai by going longer than those ahead of him on his opening stint. Unlike his time at the front of the field in Qatar 2023, he led for a complete lap in China, becoming the first Williams driver to do so in any Grand Prix since 2015.
Carlos Sainz – Italy 2024 (30th birthday)
Would you look at that, the two most recent drivers to achieve this feat are our own. A birthday race at Monza is special enough, but leading in front of the Tifosi on your 30th? That’s something else.
Max Verstappen – Russia 2018 (21st birthday)
Turning 21 is a big milestone in life, but for Max, it was almost certainly just another day at the office. The Dutchman would eventually come home in P5 at Sochi.
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Sebastian Vettel – Austria 2016 (29th birthday)
Red Bull’s home race saw the four-time champion take the lead on his birthday, although the celebrations were short-lived. A tyre failure ended his day prematurely, but at least he got a taste of the front.
Heikki Kovalainen – China 2008 (27th birthday)
The ever-smiling Finn had a moment to shine in Shanghai, leading a lap before ultimately finishing outside the podium places.
Mika Häkkinen – Luxembourg 1997 (29th birthday)
The Flying Finn joined the club in the often-forgotten Luxembourg Grand Prix at the Nürburgring, Germany. An engine failure whilst leading wouldn’t have been on his birthday list, but any disappointment would soon be forgotten as went on to claim the first of two titles the following year.
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Jean Alesi – Canada 1995 (31st birthday)
A fairytale moment for Alesi, who not only led on his birthday but went on to take his one and Grand Prix victory. This makes him just one of two drivers to stand on the top step on their birthday. Who was the other, you ask? Well…
James Hunt – Netherlands 1976 (29th birthday)
A significant moment in Hunt’s championship-winning season, he led at Zandvoort on his 29th birthday before going on to win the race. That year would go down as one of the most dramatic in F1 history.
Clay Regazzoni – Italy 1971 (32nd birthday)
Before going on to take our maiden Grand Prix victory, Regazzoni was one of Ferrari’s most beloved drivers. The Swiss racer took the lead at Monza on his birthday, but ultimately was forced to retire with mechanical issues. The race is famed for being one of the closest-ever finishes, with the top four all split by 0.61s at the flag.
A Club That’s Hard to Join
With just nine members in over seven decades of F1 history, leading on your birthday remains an exceptionally rare feat.
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