Kimi Antonelli is the youngest World Champion in Formula 1 history. The Mercedes driver clinched the 2026 title at the Mexico City Grand Prix with four races still remaining. After the race, he took a moment to process what he had achieved.
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Antonelli won the title at 20 years and 68 days old. Sebastian Vettel previously held the record at 23 years and 134 days, set at the 2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Antonelli broke that mark by more than three years.
He is also the first Italian champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953, and he achieved it in just his second F1 season. So, how did Antonelli get the job done?
Antonelli arrived in Mexico needing only a ninth-place finish to secure the title. He already had a 123-point lead and had won nine of the season’s 19 races.
He started fourth on a chaotic afternoon:
- Lap 1: Charles Leclerc went across the grass at Turn 1 and received a five-second penalty.
- Red flag: Valtteri Bottas suffered a heavy crash, bringing the race to a halt for almost 40 minutes. The drivers then took a standing restart on Lap 47.
- The move: Antonelli passed Leclerc for third at the restart and held the position until the finish.
- Late drama: A Safety Car came out after Arvid Lindblad crashed out.
Max Verstappen won the race by 0.799 seconds over Lewis Hamilton. Antonelli finished 4.006 seconds behind the winner. His third-place finish earned him 15 points, enough to put the championship beyond reach.
How Kimi Antonelli beat George Russell
Mercedes built the fastest car under the 2026 regulations, but George Russell made the stronger start to the season with a win in Australia. Antonelli responded by winning the next five races. He took the championship lead in the third round and never gave it up.
Canada and Monaco proved important to the title fight. Russell failed to score in either race after a mechanical failure and an F1 pit-timing error. Antonelli’s lead grew to 68 points after six races.
One of his best performances came at Monza. Starting 19th, he fought his way through the field and eventually hunted down Russell for the win.
The new cars also appear to suit Antonelli’s driving style. Analysis in the NBC report says the regulations reward late braking and aggressive cornering. Antonelli is comfortable driving a loose, sliding car, while the changes have made things harder for Russell’s smoother approach, which uses more tire life and battery power.
Russell compared the adjustment to a golfer having to change his swing. He also admitted that Antonelli had been performing at a higher level this season.
Former Haas boss Guenther Steiner told NBC he did not expect Antonelli to reach this level, describing him as “a 20-year-old with the mind of a 30-year-old experienced F1 driver.” Otmar Szafnauer also praised his mental preparation, natural talent, and attitude.
Tears on the final lap
The emotions caught up with Antonelli before the checkered flag. He said he slowed down on the final lap because tears made it difficult to see the track. He was worried he might crash. Memories of his journey, from karting to Formula 1, came rushing back.
After the race, he spoke with Nico Rosberg and admitted he was still trying to take it all in. He thanked Mercedes and his family, adding that it was a moment he would remember forever.
“It’s one that will live forever. I’m speechless. I’m trying to process what has just happened. … Looking forward to some more battles in the future,” the 20-year-old said.
The weekend wasn’t easy
Despite securing the title, Antonelli had a tense weekend. He admitted he wasn’t in the best physical shape and felt his qualifying performance was below par.
Hearing people congratulate him throughout the weekend, before the title was officially secured, added to the pressure. As a superstitious person, he found it difficult to deal with those early celebrations.
He compared the weekend with Austin, where he said he had been much more aggressive. Antonelli won that race a week earlier, and his rivals had started to accept that the title was slipping away.
A special celebration on the podium
Antonelli’s father, Marco, was in Mugello with his rally team, which had just lost its own championship. Antonelli said he saw his father looking down that morning and promised himself he would make it up to him. His family flew in on Saturday to watch him race.
The celebrations brought another emotional moment. During the podium ceremony, one of the Italian songs played was a favorite of his late grandfather. Hearing it brought him to tears again.
Hamilton and Verstappen then lifted Antonelli onto their shoulders. He said he plans to frame the photo and hang it at home.
Max Verstappen sends a special shoutout
Antonelli’s achievement is even more impressive considering how his rookie season went. In 2025, he had an inconsistent year and was comfortably outperformed by Russell.
He admitted that some people felt he wasn’t ready for the challenge. But he said those difficult moments helped him mature, both as a driver and as a person. Joining Mercedes so early in his career and dealing with the pressure also helped him develop faster.
Now, just one season later, Antonelli has gone from facing doubts about his readiness to becoming the youngest Formula 1 World Champion in history. He also received his championship certificate from one of his biggest rivals, Max Verstappen, who had plenty of praise for the young driver.
“I think in his second season, to do something like this. Of course, you can argue that over the course of the season, they had the best package. But still, compared to his teammate, I think he has done an unbelievable job. And I know from myself that when you are in your second season, there are still so many unknowns. Sometimes that’s a good thing to be in the unknown because you drive free, but at the same time, it’s also easy to make mistakes, and he didn’t, and I think that is very impressive and also why he deserves this championship,” Verstappen said after the race.
From being questioned after his rookie season to earning praise from a four-time champion, Antonelli has answered his doubters in the biggest way possible and put his name in Formula 1 history at just 20 years old.