MEXICO CITY — Kimi Antonelli became the youngest Formula 1 world champion in history on Sunday, finishing third in the Mexico City Grand Prix to seal the title at 20 years and 68 days old.
The Mercedes driver needed only to finish in the points to clinch the championship, and he did so with a composed drive in front of a huge crowd at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. He crossed the line behind race winner Max Verstappen and second-placed Lewis Hamilton, but it was enough to secure an unassailable lead in the standings with two races remaining.
Antonelli, who started the season as a rookie, has enjoyed a remarkable campaign, winning six races and finishing on the podium 12 times. His title breaks the record previously held by Sebastian Vettel, who was 23 years and 134 days old when he won his first championship in 2010.
“I don’t know what to say,” Antonelli said over team radio after crossing the line. “This is a dream come true. Thank you to everyone who believed in me.”
He was later handed a five-second penalty for a track-limits infringement, but it did not affect his championship position, as he had built a sufficient gap to fourth-placed Oscar Piastri.
A historic day for Italy
Antonelli’s title ends a 73-year wait for an Italian world champion. The last Italian to win the drivers’ championship was Alberto Ascari, who won back-to-back titles in 1952 and 1953.
“This is for Italy,” Antonelli said in the post-race press conference. “To be mentioned in the same breath as Ascari is an honour I never imagined.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni congratulated Antonelli on social media, calling his achievement “a source of pride for the entire nation”.
The victory also caps a remarkable rise for Antonelli, who was born in Bologna in 2006 and began karting at the age of seven. He joined Mercedes’ junior programme as a teenager and was fast-tracked into Formula 1 after dominating junior categories.
Verstappen wins the race
While Antonelli celebrated the title, Verstappen took the race victory, his seventh of the season. The Red Bull driver led from pole and controlled the race throughout, finishing 4.2 seconds ahead of Hamilton’s Ferrari.
“Congratulations to Kimi,” Verstappen said. “He has had an incredible season and deserves this title.”
Hamilton, who finished second, also praised Antonelli. “To win a championship at 20 is extraordinary,” the seven-time world champion said. “He has a bright future ahead of him.”
What comes next
With the drivers’ title secured, attention now turns to the constructors’ championship, where Mercedes leads McLaren by 18 points with two races remaining in São Paulo and Abu Dhabi.
Antonelli said he will not ease off in the final races. “We still have a constructors’ title to win,” he said. “I will keep pushing until the end.”
For Formula 1, Antonelli’s triumph marks the arrival of a new superstar — and, at just 20, the beginning of what could be a dominant era.
Sources
USN reviewed race coverage and championship reporting for this story. Read more from Formula 1, BBC Sport, Sky Sports F1, Motorsport.com, The Race and ESPN F1.