Mexico City: Italian driver Kimi Antonelli has made Formula One history by becoming the youngest-ever World Drivers’ Champion at the age of 20 years and 68 days. The Mercedes driver secured his maiden world title with a third-place finish at the Mexico City Grand Prix. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won the race, while Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton finished second. Antonelli’s podium finish was enough to seal the championship with four rounds remaining in the 2026 season.
As the chequered flag brought the race to an end at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez circuit, an emotional Antonelli celebrated the historic achievement over team radio. The Italian has broken the long-standing record held by Germany’s Sebastian Vettel, who became the youngest world champion in 2010 at the age of 23 years and 134 days. Antonelli has surpassed that mark by more than three years.
He has also ended Italy’s 73-year wait for a Formula One world champion. The last Italian to win the drivers’ title was Alberto Ascari, who secured his second championship in 1953. Antonelli entered the Mexico City Grand Prix with a substantial lead over his closest challengers. His third-place finish made that advantage unassailable, ensuring that the remaining races would not affect the championship outcome.
His race engineer, Peter Bonnington, congratulated him over team radio, saying, “World Champion, Kimi.” An emotional Antonelli responded: “We did it, we did it. Thank you so much.” His family, including his parents and sister, were present at the circuit to celebrate the achievement alongside the Mercedes team. Speaking after the race, Antonelli said he was struggling to believe what he had accomplished. He described the season as incredible and said sharing the podium with experienced champions such as Verstappen and Hamilton made the moment even more special.
The Mexico City Grand Prix was an eventful race, featuring multiple incidents, two Safety Car periods and a red-flag interruption following a major crash. Verstappen held on to claim victory, with Hamilton finishing second and Antonelli taking third. The official race classification placed Charles Leclerc fourth, Lando Norris fifth, George Russell sixth and Oscar Piastri seventh. Franco Colapinto finished eighth, Liam Lawson ninth and Pierre Gasly tenth. Mercedes also strengthened its position in the Constructors’ Championship. The team holds a 126-point advantage over Ferrari and could secure the title at the next round in Brazil. Formula One now heads to São Paulo for the next race, where Mercedes will have another opportunity to clinch the Constructors’ Championship.
