Who is the least experienced driver ever to race in F1?

I'm not talking about age, but racing experience and years. Also, how did he become an F1 driver?|||Most drivers have years of karting experience, but in terms of CAR racing experience, Mike Thackwell is probably going to prove difficult to beat.





Thackwell had a single year of F3 and most of a season of F2 prior to his GP debut. His father had been involved in racing since before Mike was born, which explains his rapid introduction to the sport. He was a top talent, but his career stalled when he arrived in F1 - a similar situation to Luca Badoer.





Ricardo Rodriguez had no karting experience prior to his car racing career. His progression from nothing to sportscars to F1 (in a Ferrari, no less) took him about 2 years. He benefitted from sharing equipment and expertise with his older brother, Pedro. Like several other drivers, he was promoted from the works Ferrari sportscar squad to the F1 team.





Fernando Alonso had over a decade of karting experience, but only 2 years racing cars, when he made his F1 debut. He had a pushy parent with frustrated driving ambitions. Flavio Briatore knew a good thing when he saw it and "placed" Alonso with Minardi.





Chris Amon also had no karting background, and made his F1 debut after just 3 years in lower formulae. He got into F1 thanks to a New Zealand driver-sponsorship programme which sent him to Europe.





For earlier answerers: Raikkonen had 6 years racing cars before his F1 debut and Schumacher had nearly 4 years experience in cars. Both of them had extensive karting careers beforehand. Taki Inoue, meanwhile, had 9 years of car racing experience before his late debut at the age of 31, so it isn't him! Nelsinho Piquet had almost 7 years in cars before getting into F1, although he was the youngest ever South American F3 champion AND the youngest ever British F3 champion along the way.|||It could be Rubens Barrichello, He is set to become the first driver to reach 300 Grand Prix entries and 300 starts (now is 284) in 2010. Assuming the season is trouble free, his 300th start will be achieved at the Japanese Grand Prix.





but i choose Michael "Schumi" Schumacher.


He isn't just old enough, he's so experienced, tasted the glory periods, got the title "Rain Master", great, and if he didn't retire from formula one, i'm so sure that he would be the first driver to reach the much-est races.


Besides, he won 7 times Driver World's Champion of Formula One, got 91 winning race, and he started his racing career since 7 years old. He must be the experienced driver ever to race in F1.





Schumacher made his Formula One debut with the Jordan-Ford team at the 1991 Belgian Grand Prix, driving car number 32 as a replacement for the imprisoned Bertrand Gachot. Then, his glory was began to play :)|||As for the least time in the feeder series to be competitive, that would be kimi raikkonen, who jumped strait from formula 3. he was the least experienced world champion.|||Takachiho Inoue, who got sponsorship from Unimat and a Simtek seat in 1994.|||Looked like a lack of experience for Nelson Piquet jr though it wasn't he was just awful!|||a lot!!!!!