Italian Kimi Antonelli becomes Formula One’s youngest world champion

⁠Kimi Antonelli has become Formula One’s youngest world champion ⁠at 20 years old with his third-place finish for Mercedes at the Mexico City Grand Prix. The first Italian champion since 1953 sobbed with joy over the team radio as he took the chequered flag at the high-altitude Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on Sunday. Italian has secured the title for Mercedes. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won the race as Lewis Hamilton finished second in the Ferrari. Kimi needed only a ninth-place finish at the 71-lap race at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez to clinch his maiden world title, regardless of how Lewis Hamilton and his Mercedes teammate George Russell performed.

HISTORY MADE! HUGE CONGRATULATIONS TO KIMI ANTONELLI! As the chequered flag falls at the Mexico City Grand Prix, Kimi Antonelli is crowned Formula 1 World Champion! https://t.co/WQRU8SLSp3

— Dinendra Haria (@Dinendra_Haria) November 1, 2026

Starting fourth, Antonelli delivered a composed drive to secure third place despite a red flag following a crash involving Valtteri Bottas and a late Safety Car period triggered by an accident involving Arvid Lindblad.