Kimi Antonelli claims F1 title at 20, four races early
The Italian driver becomes the youngest world champion in the sport's history, breaking a record held for 16 years.
By Sanjay Caldwell ·
Kimi Antonelli is 20 years old and now the youngest Formula 1 world champion ever. The Mercedes driver secured the title on Sunday after the Mexico City Grand Prix, with four races still remaining on the 2026 calendar.
Antonelli finished third in the race, extending an unassailable lead in the drivers' standings over teammate George Russell and Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton. The victory in Mexico belonged to Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who claimed his sixth win at the circuit.
The race was interrupted on lap 46 when a red flag was deployed. Valtteri Bottas crashed into the wall at the first corner after a problem with his right-side suspension. Cadillac reported that the driver received further medical assessments as a precaution, though he exited the car unaided and waved to fans before leaving the track.
When the race resumed, Verstappen led from Leclerc, Hamilton, Antonelli, Norris and Russell. The Red Bull driver maintained the advantage to take the checkered flag.
Antonelli, the first Italian to win the title since Alberto Ascari in 1953, broke the record for youngest champion previously held by Sebastian Vettel, who was 23 in 2010. On the team radio, the new champion said, “Thank you so much, we did it, we did it, thank you so much .. thank you.”
The championship concludes with races in Brazil and Las Vegas. It remains uncertain whether the final two events in Qatar and Abu Dhabi will proceed due to instability in the region.
