Age is just a number… (part 2) | Pirelli

Age is just a number… (part 2)

Age is just a number… (part 2) - Rubens Barrichello
Age is just a number… (part 2) - Rubens Barrichello

Rubens Barrichello

It's little surprise that a driver with the longevity to hold the all-time Formula 1 appearance record is still racing full-time at 47 years of age. In an F1 career spanning 18 years, Barrichello entered 326 Grands Prix, winning 11 of them. He made his debut with Jordan way back in 1993 but his legacy was with Ferrari, where he played second fiddle to Michael Schumacher but still helped his team score five World Constructors' Championship titles in a row. He raced on Pirelli tyres during his final F1 season with Williams and since 2013 has plied his trade in Stock Car Brasil, winning the championship in 2014. More recently he's turned his hand to GT racing, competing at the Spa 24 Hours last year.

Age is just a number… (part 2) - Robby Gordon
Age is just a number… (part 2) - Robby Gordon

Robby Gordon

Swashbuckling 50-year-old American racer Robby Gordon proves that not everyone becomes calmer with age. A jack of all trades, Gordon scored race wins in Indycar, NASCAR, IMSA, and Trans-Am (which is supplied exclusively by Pirelli). Gordon is known for an aggressive driving style, pushing the rules to breaking point – which at one point even led him to banned from racing in Australia. But his perseverance is unquestionable – when he lost his Indycar and NASCAR drives, his answer was to set up his own team. He went on to launch the Stadium Super Trucks series, which he is a two-time champion of and still races in today – together with the Dakar. There's just no stopping him.

Age is just a number… (part 2) - Mario Andretti
Age is just a number… (part 2) - Mario Andretti

Mario Andretti

Technically, ‘Super Mario' shouldn't be on this list because he's now definitely, finally retired. There and again, we've heard that one before, because his final appearance at Le Mans (where he finished 16th) came in 2000 at the age of 60 – six years after he officially retired. A sign of his longevity in motorsport is the fact he was the first (and only) driver to have won Indycar races in four different decades. And he's still the last American to win a Formula 1 race – or championship. If you see him on track again, don't be too surprised.

Age is just a number… (part 2) - Alex Zanardi
Age is just a number… (part 2) - Alex Zanardi

Alex Zanardi

Want some life inspiration? Look no further than Alex Zanardi. Not only is the Italian still doing what shouldn't be possible at his age (52), but he's also doing what shouldn't be possible for anybody in his position regardless of age. Two years after the crash that cost him his legs in 2001, he drove the 13 laps he never finished at that race on the Lausitzring in Germany, lapping fast enough to qualify fifth. Although he's since focussed on his career as a Paralympian, he's still racing now: most recently at the famous 24 Hours of Daytona in January.

Age is just a number… (part 2) - Sebastien Loeb
Age is just a number… (part 2) - Sebastien Loeb

Sebastien Loeb

The best driver in the world is currently in his 40s. Possibly a controversial statement, but we're talking nine WRC titles and 79 rally wins here. On the Tour de Corse in 2005, he won the rally by winning every single stage: something that's never been seen before or since. Had it not been for his team mate crashing the car, Sebastien Loeb may well have won Le Mans at his first attempt too. After retiring from full-time rallying, the Frenchman went on to compete and win in the FIA GT Series, FIA World Touring Car Championship, FIA World Rallycross Championship, X Games and Pikes Peak. Six years after retiring from WRC, he came back on Rally Spain last year and won that too – at the tender age of 44. Now 45, he's back again for a part-time season at Hyundai.