Kimi Antonelli is Formula 1’s youngest-ever world champion. The 20-year-old Mercedes driver sealed the 2026 Drivers’ Championship with a third-place finish at the Mexico City Grand Prix on November 1, joining Italy’s racing legends and ending a 73-year wait for his country.
Kimi Antonelli celebrates his historic title in Mexico City (Credits: FIA / Formula 1)
Antonelli, aged just 20 years and 68 days, shattered Sebastian Vettel’s record of 23 years and 134 days set in 2010. He becomes the first Italian champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953 and the first champion born in the 21st century, netting the crown with four rounds still remaining in the season.
How Antonelli Won the 2026 Title in Mexico
He arrived in Mexico needing only ninth place to guarantee the title, but the 20-year-old delivered far more. Starting fourth on the grid, he produced a composed drive through a chaotic 71-lap race that featured a red flag after Valtteri Bottas’s heavy accident and a late Safety Car for Arvid Lindblad’s crash. A bold overtake on Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc sealed his podium.
Max Verstappen won the race for Red Bull, holding off Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari by just 0.799 seconds. Antonelli shared the podium with two men holding 11 world championships between them — and they lifted him onto their shoulders to celebrate his achievement. Overcome with emotion, Antonelli later said he “couldn’t see” through his tears on the final lap.
Antonelli’s Record-Breaking 2026 Season
This was only Antonelli’s second F1 season after replacing Hamilton at Mercedes in 2025. He won four races in a row from China to Canada, took victory in Monaco, became the youngest driver ever to lead the standings in Japan, and arrived in Mexico with nine wins, 16 podiums and seven pole positions. He joined Mercedes as a 12-year-old; the Silver Arrows’ protege has now realized his destiny.
Mercedes can clinch the constructors’ title next weekend in Brazil, leading Ferrari 630 to 504. For Antonelli, the wait is finally over: “This is just the beginning.”
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Source: ESPN — read the full story there.