Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli sealed his first title at 20 years and 68 days old, ending Italy’s 73 year wait for a champion.
Tamrah News Desk | November 2, 2026
Kimi Antonelli became the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history on Sunday by finishing third at the Mexico City Grand Prix, according to Sky Sports. The 20 year old Mercedes driver secured his maiden world championship with four rounds still to run. F1.com reported that he started fourth at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez and needed only a ninth place finish to take the title, whatever his rivals did.
A Record Broken by More Than Three Years
Antonelli was 20 years and 68 days old when he sealed his first world championship. Motorsport.com reported that the previous record belonged to Sebastian Vettel, who was 23 years and 134 days old when he won his first crown with Red Bull in 2010. ESPN said Antonelli reached the top in only his second season, after replacing Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes in 2025. Sky Sports noted he is the fourth driver to win the title in his second year, following Juan Manuel Fangio, Jacques Villeneuve and Lewis Hamilton.
First Italian World Champion Since 1953
Sky Sports reported that Antonelli is the first Italian world champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953. ESPN added that Italy took three of the first four titles through Giuseppe Farina in 1950 and Ascari in 1952 and 1953, and that Antonelli is the 36th different driver to win the world championship. ESPN also noted that Formula 1 has now crowned a first time champion in consecutive seasons, after McLaren’s Lando Norris in 2025.
How Antonelli Won the 2026 World Championship
According to ESPN, he took his first victory in China in March and then won five races in a row, which gave him a points lead he never gave up. ESPN also reported that he won the Italian Grand Prix at Monza from 19th on the grid, becoming the first Italian to win his home race since Ludovico Scarfiotti in 1966. Sky Sports counted nine wins this season. His Mercedes teammate George Russell began the year as the favourite and won the opening race in Australia, ESPN reported. RaceFans listed Antonelli on 380 points after Mexico, 119 clear of Max Verstappen on 261 in the world championship.
What Happened at the Mexico City Grand Prix
Max Verstappen won for Red Bull by 0.799 seconds from Lewis Hamilton, with Antonelli 4.006 seconds back in third, Sky Sports reported. According to F1.com, the race featured a red flag after Valtteri Bottas crashed and a late Safety Car after Arvid Lindblad went off. Sky Sports said Hamilton and Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc clashed on the opening lap, and Leclerc received a five second penalty. Russell finished sixth after a 10 second penalty for a first lap collision with Isack Hadjar. Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton then lifted the new champion onto their shoulders, Sky Sports reported.
Reaction From Wolff and Rivals
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff told Reuters that Antonelli has exceeded expectations, saying
“This kid has nothing to prove any more”
in a report carried by BusinessWorld. F1.com reported that Wolff told Sky Sports F1 that promoting the teenager after Lewis Hamilton left for Ferrari was a calculated risk. Sky Sports quoted Antonelli as calling the title
“just the beginning.”
Sky Sports also said Max Verstappen was very proud of the new F1 world champion.
Standings After Mexico
Crash.net reported that Max Verstappen moved into second place, two points clear of Lewis Hamilton, while Russell slipped to fourth. RacingNews365 said Mercedes narrowly missed clinching the constructors’ title in Mexico, so that fight moves to Brazil. GPblog reported that the team needed to outscore Ferrari by 39 points to take it. The drivers’ title is settled with Kimi Antonelli as F1 world champion, but second place is still open.
When Is the Next F1 Race After Antonelli’s Title?
Formula 1 heads to the Sao Paulo Grand Prix this weekend, according to Sky Sports. ESPN’s calendar lists the remaining rounds as Sao Paulo on November 6 to 8, Las Vegas on November 19 to 21, Qatar on November 27 to 29 and Abu Dhabi on December 4 to 6.
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Conclusion
Kimi Antonelli is the youngest F1 champion in history and the first Italian world champion in 73 years, after a 2026 F1 title won in Mexico City. The Mexico City Grand Prix result, the F1 standings 2026 and the Mercedes Formula 1 season now turn to Brazil, where the Formula 1 world championship calendar continues this weekend.
