Kimi Antonelli becomes youngest F1 champion with third place at Mexican GP | Formula 1 2026

Kimi Antonelli etched his name in the Formula 1 record books as a deserved and popular world champion and winner whose verve and extraordinary talent were thrilling to watch, turning what many thought would be an improbable title victory into a triumphant march, sealed by tears of joy at the Mexican Grand Prix.

In winning his first F1 title for Mercedes, 20-year-old Antonelli, with his tousled hair and charming boyish looks, is the youngest driver to win the sport’s crown and the first Italian to do so since Alberto Ascari won in 1953. It is Mercedes’ first drivers’ championship since Hamilton’s last victory in 2020 and the team’s 10th.

The youngster unsurprisingly closed with cool command from the sport’s greats in taking third place in Mexico, a race won after drama by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, from Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari, left fuming with teammate Charles Leclerc, who finished fourth.

Afterwards, Antonelli was clearly moved and said it was a moment that would live forever but left him almost speechless. His race engineer, Peter Bonnington, may have spoken for everyone who has watched the Italian this season, emphasizing that this is only the beginning for Antonelli.

“It’s a very special day, a young man has broken the record for the youngest world champion,” he said. “It’s the first of many, I think, I’m just super happy for him, delighted.”

On another day, this fiery affair in Mexico, with Verstappen superb and a dramatic row between Ferrari drivers to savor, would have been considered an entertaining enough affair but for all that it really belonged to Antonelli.

He ended what was a hugely successful campaign as the sport’s 36th world champion at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez, in only his second season in F1 and with four meetings still to go. Sebastian Vettel was the previous youngest driver’s championship winner, aged 23 in 2010, while Antonelli was just four years old.

The Italian has been in the lead for almost the entire season, having taken the lead after the third round in Japan. While the Mercedes proved to be the class of the field in the first half of the year under the new regulations, Antonelli made the most of it and established a commanding lead. He won five of the first six races, edging teammate George Russell, who was the pre-season favorite.

Antonelli went on to achieve nine victories in a season where he only managed to score points twice, both times due to mechanical failures. Even though Mercedes were pushed by Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull, Antonelli maintained a tight grip on his lead, including sealing a victory from 19th on the grid at his home grand prix at Monza.

Russell and Hamilton were his closest contenders, but neither managed to close the gap significantly. They needed to win in Mexico to retain the title, but Antonelli’s third place finish would have clinched it even if they did.

Antonelli did exactly what was expected of him here, kept his cool and made no mistakes in a race that was run at a breakneck pace. Leclerc got off to a great start and attempted to pass Hamilton for the lead at turn four, but clipped the corner to do so.

He did not return the place and was investigated, with Hamilton furious that his teammate had cost them a one-two finish in the race and ultimately let Verstappen take the lead. The stewards found that Leclerc had gained an advantage by leaving the track and he was given a five-second penalty during his pit stop.

It was a decision that left Hamilton unhappy. “The problem is he has clean air and he doesn’t have to fend for himself like the rest of us. He should just give the place back,” he said. “The stewards are basically giving this win to Charles.”

Later, when the race was stopped, he again expressed his displeasure. “We have big problems. Very big problems,” he said. A lively debriefing at Ferrari is in store.

A red flag was raised after Valtteri Bottas crashed with a big impact at the first corner. This prompted a restart from which a fiery Hamilton moved to second and Antonelli to third, generally unwilling to do the minimum to win the title. This allowed him to seal glory with a place on the podium, where the two big guys hoisted the kid onto their shoulders.

Victory might be something of cold comfort for Verstappen given Antonelli won the title, but it will be comfort for the Dutch driver and his team who will be buoyed by what has been a hugely impressive run from fifth on the grid as they look to make a strong start to next season. This opened up the tantalizing prospect of Verstappen and Antonelli and, hopefully, Hamilton constantly competing at the front in 2027.

Antonelli’s title represents a vindication of the immense confidence that Mercedes had placed in the boy from Bologna, whom the team integrated into its young driver program when he was 12 years old. He was promoted to take Hamilton’s place last season, which proved a difficult year for the rookie, but since then he has adapted to the highly competitive competition with alacrity and great skill.

He went into the race in Mexico with only a ninth place finish or better and, although he only qualified fourth, he delivered a nerveless ride, indicative of the form he has shown throughout the year. An unforgettable moment but certainly not the last for this fascinating and precocious talent.