Kimi Antonelli became the youngest Formula 1 champion in history
2 November 10:56
20-year-old Italian Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli clinched the Formula 1 championship ahead of schedule. This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian", citing the official Formula 1 results.
A third-place finish at the Mexico City Grand Prix was enough to secure the title: after the race, his lead over his closest rivals became insurmountable—119 points.
Antonelli surpassed the previous record-holder, Sebastian Vettel, who became champion at age 23.
How Antonelli Won the Title in Mexico
Before the start of the race at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, the Mercedes driver only needed to finish no lower than ninth. Antonelli started the race from fourth position and ultimately crossed the finish line in third.
Max Verstappen of Red Bull won the Mexico City Grand Prix, while Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari took second place.
After the race, Antonelli emotionally thanked the team.
“We did it, thank you so much!” he said.
Later, the driver admitted that it was hard for him to immediately grasp what had happened and called the season incredible.
What record did the Italian driver set?
Antonelli became champion at the age of 20 years and 68 days—the youngest in Formula 1 history. The previous record was held by German Sebastian Vettel: he won the first of his four titles at 23 years and 134 days.
The Italian also ended a long drought for his country: before him, the last Italian Formula 1 champion was Alberto Ascarri, who won the title in 1953. Antonelli’s achievement was confirmed by the International Automobile Federation (FIA ) and the championship’s official website.
From Karting to the Championship: What We Know About Antonelli
Andrea Kimi Antonelli was born on August 25, 2006, in Bologna, Italy. His father, Marco, is a race car driver.
Kimi started out in karting and made his debut in car racing at the age of 15.
In 2022, he won the Italian and German Formula 4 championships, and the following year, he claimed titles in Formula Regional Middle East and Formula Regional European.
Antonelli has been racing for Mercedes since 2025. The team selected him as the successor to Lewis Hamilton, who moved to Ferrari. In his debut season, the Italian stood on the podium three times, and in 2026, he became the top contender for the championship.
After the Mexico City Grand Prix, Antonelli’s season stats stood at nine wins, 16 podium finishes, and seven pole positions.
Even before winning the championship, he set the record as the youngest pole-sitter in Formula 1 history.
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