Summary:
- Kimi Antonelli has become the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history after finishing third at the Mexico City Grand Prix.
- He was 20 years and 68 days old and won the title with four rounds of the season left.
- He is the first Italian Formula 1 champion since 1953 and the Mercedes driver finished behind Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton on the podium.
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli has become the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history after finishing third at the Mexico City Grand Prix. At 20 years and 68 days old, he sealed the title with four rounds of the season remaining and became the first Italian to win the championship since 1953.
How Kimi Antonelli won the title in Mexico City
Antonelli arrived in Mexico City needing only a ninth-place finish to clinch the championship. In his second season in Formula 1, he drove his Mercedes through a chaotic race and out through the Foro Sol Stadium to take third place. Max Verstappen won the race and Lewis Hamilton finished second.
The podium ceremony turned into a celebration of the new champion. Verstappen and Hamilton lifted Antonelli onto their shoulders, two drivers with long championship careers carrying the driver who had just become the youngest title winner in the sport.
With four races still on the calendar, the result settles the drivers’ title in the FIA Formula One World Championship before the season ends.
Who is Kimi Antonelli
Antonelli has been part of the Mercedes system since childhood. He first joined the team as a 12-year-old protégé and rose through its programme to a race seat in Formula 1. The title comes after a turbulent rookie year, which makes the turnaround in his second season even more marked.
After the race, he celebrated with his parents, his sister Maggie and Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff.
“I would not be here without Mercedes or my family. I am speechless, trying to process what just happened. A day I will remember forever,” said Antonelli, Mercedes Formula 1 driver and the new world champion.
Why Antonelli’s title matters for Italy
Italy has a long history in Formula 1, but it had gone more than seven decades without a drivers’ champion of its own. Antonelli’s win in Mexico City ends a gap that stretches back to 1953. It also gives him the record as the youngest driver ever to take the title.
He did it with four rounds to spare, so he will race the rest of the season as champion.
Soufiene El Boub
was born and raised in France, where he also pursued his education. With a lifelong passion for sports and storytelling, Soufiene has become a sports editor, known for his insightful analysis writing. His unique perspective, shaped by his French upbringing, adds a distinctive flair to his work in the world of sports journalism.
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