In brief
Kimi Antonelli captured the 2026 Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship in Mexico City, becoming the youngest champion in the sport and the first Italian to win since 1953. He took third behind Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, ensuring the title with a ninth‑place finish or better. The win broke Sebastian Vettel’s record for youngest champion, which TASS noted as 20 years and 69 days old.
Saturday night’s Mexican Grand Prix finished with Kimi Antonelli, the 20‑year‑old Italian Mercedes driver, securing the 2026 Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship in a third‑place finish, Anadolu Agency reported. The win gave Antonelli the title with four races remaining.
Through Anadolu’s coverage, Antonelli entered the race with a championship advantage that required only a ninth‑place finish or better. He started fourth on the grid, briefly led after the opening lap chaos, and maintained a run that saw him finish third after overtaking Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc on lap 48.
In the race, Max Verstappen claimed victory for Red Bull on the 71‑lap circuit, Lewis Hamilton finished second for Ferrari, and Antonelli completed the podium in third. The podium finish was enough to secure the title regardless of the outcomes of the remaining races.
TASS, in a separate report, stated that Antonelli, at 20 years and 69 days old, broke Sebastian Vettel’s previous record for youngest champion, which had stood since 2010. The agency also listed the Mexican Grand Prix as the decisive event that clinched the title.
Antonelli celebrated the achievement:
"We did it! And I wouldn’t be here without Mercedes and without my family. I’m speechless, I’m trying to process what’s just happened,"
He credited the team and family for helping him reach this milestone and announced his new status as the youngest champion in Formula 1 history.
