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Kimi Antonelli is the new Formula One world champion. The 20-year-old Mercedes driver sealed the 2026 title with third place at the Mexico City Grand Prix on Sunday, becoming the youngest world champion in the sport’s history at 20 years and 68 days, according to Reuters and Formula 1.
Antonelli finished behind race winner Max Verstappen of Red Bull and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari, but the result gave him an unassailable lead in the championship with four races still to run. It also made him Italy’s first Formula One world champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953, ending a 73-year wait, and the first champion born in the 21st century.
How Antonelli sealed the title in Mexico City
Antonelli started the race from fourth on the grid. During the race he moved past Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc to take third place, the position he needed to put the championship beyond reach. Verstappen won the race for a sixth time in Mexico City, with Hamilton second.
The race was stopped on lap 46 after Valtteri Bottas crashed at the first corner, according to race reports. At the restart, Verstappen held the lead and Antonelli held third to the finish, sparking celebrations in the Mercedes garage and among Italian fans watching at home.
On the team radio after crossing the line, Antonelli said: “We did it, we did it. Thank you so much.” Hamilton and Verstappen then lifted the new champion aloft on the podium, in a moment widely shared by Formula 1.
A record-breaking season for the Kimi Antonelli F1 world champion
Antonelli’s title run has been built on remarkable consistency in only his second full Formula One season. According to reports of the season so far, he has won nine races, taken 16 podium finishes and claimed seven pole positions.
His run included five straight victories from China to Monaco, where he became the youngest winner at the famous street circuit. He also won his home Italian Grand Prix at Monza from the back of the grid, a result his team boss Toto Wolff later described as one of the standout drives of the season.
Wolff told Reuters that Antonelli had exceeded all expectations and could become one of the sport’s greats. “He has nothing to prove,” Wolff said, adding that more titles were likely to follow.
Antonelli himself struck a similar note after the race, telling Sky Sports F1: “This is just the beginning. I think that this win is just going to mark a new beginning. A new point to build on and to keep improving and keep trying to win championships.”
From karting prodigy to world champion
Antonelli’s path to the title began long before his Formula One debut. Born in Bologna, he grew up around motorsport: his father Marco was a sports car racer, and Antonelli was taken to racetracks as a young boy. Mercedes signed him to its junior programme when he was 11, after his talent in karting became clear.
He dominated karting in 2020 and 2021, then won the Italian and German Formula 4 championships in 2022 and the Formula Regional championship in 2023. His Formula One practice debut at Monza in 2024 ended in a crash, but Mercedes kept faith in him, and he joined the team full time in 2025 after Hamilton moved to Ferrari.
That rookie season was uneven: Antonelli finished seventh overall with three podium finishes, including second place in Sao Paulo. His second season, by contrast, has been described by Al Jazeera and others as regal and, for long stretches, inevitable, as he took control of the championship with a string of victories on fast and slow circuits alike.
By clinching the title, Antonelli passed Sebastian Vettel’s long-standing record as the youngest champion. Vettel was 23 years and 134 days old when he won his first title in 2010. Antonelli is also only the third Italian world champion, after Giuseppe Farina and Ascari, and the 36th different title winner in Formula One history.
Italy celebrates a new champion
In Italy, the reaction was one of celebration. Reuters reported that several hundred fans watched a screening of the race late on Sunday at the Checco Costa Museum at the Imola circuit, putting club loyalties aside to cheer for Antonelli. La Gazzetta dello Sport marked the moment with the headline “Kimitico,” a play on words meaning “Legendary Kimi.”
Antonelli’s father Marco, speaking to Sky Sports F1 and Formula 1, described the journey as very difficult and very special. “Step by step he makes himself stronger and stronger and stronger, and this is the result,” he said, adding that he had cried when he told his son he was champion.
Antonelli, who is building a house in San Marino rather than joining many drivers in Monaco, has said he likes to spend time with friends at home. For now, though, the focus will be on the remaining four races of the season, where he will race for the first time as a world champion.
Questions People Ask
How old is Kimi Antonelli, the new F1 world champion?
Antonelli is 20 years and 68 days old, making him the youngest Formula One world champion in history. The previous youngest champion was Sebastian Vettel, who was 23 years and 134 days old when he won his first title in 2010.
How did Kimi Antonelli win the 2026 Formula One title?
Antonelli clinched the title by finishing third at the Mexico City Grand Prix, behind winner Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. That result gave him an unassailable championship lead with four races remaining.
Who was the last Italian Formula One world champion before Antonelli?
Alberto Ascari, who won the title in 1953. Antonelli is Italy’s first world champion in 73 years and only the third Italian champion overall, after Giuseppe Farina and Ascari.
Which team does Kimi Antonelli drive for?
Antonelli drives for Mercedes. He joined the team’s junior programme as an 11-year-old karter and made his full-time Formula One debut with Mercedes in 2025.
Sources: Reuters, Al Jazeera, Formula 1, Speedcafe.
