Formula 1 has a new world champion, and he has made history. Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli secured the 2026 championship on Sunday after finishing third in the Mexico City Grand Prix, becoming the youngest world champion in the sport's history at just 20 years and 68 days old.
The Italian shattered the previous record held by Sebastian Vettel by more than three years and ended his country's 73-year wait for a Formula 1 world champion. The last Italian to win the title was Alberto Ascari, who claimed his second consecutive championship in 1953.
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Kimi Antonelli is lifted onto his teammates' shoulders after winning the Formula 1 world championship
(Photo: Clive Mason/Getty Images)
Antonelli clinched the crown with four races remaining in the season, completing a remarkable transformation from a young driver whose abilities were questioned during his rookie campaign to one of the sport's biggest stars.
Vettel had held the record since 2010, when he won his first championship with Red Bull at the age of 23 years and 134 days.
From struggling rookie to record-breaking champion
Antonelli's achievement is particularly remarkable given the doubts that surrounded him at the beginning of his Formula 1 career. During his debut season in 2025, he struggled to match Mercedes teammate George Russell, who consistently outperformed him and finished well ahead in the championship standings.
Some questioned whether Mercedes had promoted the young Italian to Formula 1 too soon. Just one year later, Antonelli has delivered an emphatic response, establishing himself as the team's leading driver while Russell has fallen well behind in the championship race.
A remarkable journey. Kimi Antonelli
(Photo: Clive Mason/Getty Images)
Antonelli claimed his first Grand Prix victory in China, the second round of the 2026 season. From there, he embarked on an extraordinary run of results that quickly established him as the leading contender for the world title.
His ninth victory of the campaign came at last week's United States Grand Prix, bringing him to the brink of the championship. By the time the drivers arrived in Mexico, only Russell and Lewis Hamilton retained a mathematical chance of denying him the crown.
Antonelli knew that even a ninth-place finish would be sufficient to secure the title. Starting fourth on the grid, the Mercedes driver avoided most of the incidents that turned the race into a chaotic affair.
After the race was suspended under a red flag, Antonelli overtook Ferrari's Charles Leclerc following the restart to move into third place. He maintained that position until the checkered flag, completing his historic achievement.
Lewis Hamilton sprays Antonelli with champagne during the podium celebrations
(Photo: AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
The emotion came immediately after the finish, when race engineer Peter Bonnington congratulated him over the team radio. "Get in there, Kimi! Champion of the world!" Bonnington exclaimed.
"We did it! Thank you so much," Antonelli replied, struggling to contain his tears as the magnitude of his achievement began to sink in.
"I wouldn't be here without Mercedes, without my family," he said afterward. "So I'm very grateful for this moment, and it's one that will live forever."
Verstappen wins chaotic Mexico Grand Prix
While Antonelli celebrated his historic championship, Max Verstappen delivered another impressive performance of his own. The Red Bull driver won the race, securing his third victory in the last four Grands Prix after a fierce battle with Hamilton.
Hamilton, driving for Ferrari, had started from pole position but lost the lead during the opening stages. An intense battle between the two Ferrari drivers, Hamilton and Leclerc, helped Verstappen move into contention at the front of the field.
Antonelli with his troph
(Photo: Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
The race was interrupted following a serious accident involving Cadillac driver Valtteri Bottas, whose car suffered a suspension failure and crashed into the barriers. Officials stopped the race under a red flag before allowing the drivers to resume.
After the restart, Verstappen and Hamilton made contact while battling for the lead, but the Dutchman maintained his advantage. He held off the seven-time world champion to cross the finish line just 0.799 seconds ahead.
Leclerc finished fourth after successfully defending against McLaren's Lando Norris despite significant tire problems. Norris took fifth place, while Russell endured a frustrating afternoon and finished sixth. Oscar Piastri was seventh.
In the drivers' championship, Antonelli now holds an unassailable 119-point lead. Verstappen has climbed to second place in the standings, while Russell has dropped to fourth, 130 points behind his Mercedes teammate.
Mercedes is also in a commanding position in the constructors' championship, holding a 126-point advantage over Ferrari ahead of the next Grand Prix in São Paulo.
But the biggest story of the 2026 season has already been settled. At just 20 years old, Kimi Antonelli has claimed his first Formula 1 world championship, broken one of the sport's most prestigious records and brought Italy back to the summit of motor racing after 73 years.