Kimi Antonelli became the youngest champion in Formula 1 history
Italian Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli became the Formula 1 world champion of the 2026 season early. At the Mexican Grand Prix, which took place on November 1, the 20-year-old driver finished third, which was enough to win his first championship title in his career.
This was reported by the official Formula 1 website and the International Automobile Federation (FIA).
Antonelli became the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history - at the age of 20 years and 68 days. He broke the record of German driver Sebastian Vettel, who in 2010 won his first title at the age of 23 years and 134 days.
Moreover, Antonelli became the first Italian Formula 1 champion since 1953. The last time an Italian won this title was 73 years ago - then Alberto Ascari won the championship.
Before the start of the race in Mexico City, Antonelli had such a significant lead in the drivers' standings that to clinch the championship early it was enough for him to finish ninth regardless of the results of his main pursuers - Mercedes teammate George Russell and Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari.
The Italian started from fourth position and managed to climb onto the podium, despite several incidents during the race. The competition was interrupted by red flags after a serious accident involving Valtteri Bottas. After the restart, Antonelli overtook Charles Leclerc and moved up to third place, which he held until the finish.
The victory at the Mexican Grand Prix was taken by Max Verstappen of Red Bull. Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who represents Ferrari, finished second. The Briton's gap to the winner was only 0.799 seconds.
Fourth place went to Charles Leclerc of Ferrari, fifth was Lando Norris of McLaren, and sixth was George Russell of Mercedes.
For Antonelli, the current season was only his second in Formula 1. The Italian joined Mercedes in 2025, replacing Lewis Hamilton, who moved to Ferrari. The very next season, the young driver managed to win the championship battle.
According to Mercedes, the podium in Mexico was Antonelli's 17th of the season. He also became the first graduate of the German team's junior program to win the Formula 1 world championship title.
After the finish, Antonelli thanked Mercedes, his family and everyone who supported him during his career. The driver called winning the championship title a moment he will remember for the rest of his life.
Antonelli's championship became the tenth drivers' title in the history of Mercedes as a Formula 1 works team. Meanwhile, the battles in other championships of the season will continue until the end of the season.
Based on materials from: Formula 1, FIA, Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team
