Antonelli becomes F1’s youngest champion after Mexico City podium

Kimi Antonelli secured the 2026 drivers’ championship with third place at the Mexico City Grand Prix, becoming Formula 1’s youngest champion at 20 years and 68 days. He clinched the title with four rounds remaining, despite not winning the race.

The Mercedes driver’s podium came after a turbulent afternoon at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. Max Verstappen won, with Lewis Hamilton second, but Antonelli’s result was enough to put the championship beyond reach. His 380 points left Verstappen 119 behind.

A restart puts Antonelli on the podium—and seals the title

Antonelli started fourth after a grid penalty for Verstappen moved him up from fifth in qualifying. He avoided the opening-lap fight between Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, then ran a long first stint before pitting and rejoining fourth.

A red flag followed Valtteri Bottas’s crash, and Antonelli lined up fourth for the standing restart. Hamilton moved ahead of Leclerc, who locked up, giving Antonelli the opening to take third. He held the position through a later Safety Car period and crossed the line behind Verstappen and Hamilton.

Neither Hamilton nor George Russell won, leaving Antonelli’s nearest title challengers unable to keep the contest alive. Russell finished sixth. The result made Antonelli the fifth driver to clinch the championship in Mexico City, following John Surtees, Denny Hulme, Graham Hill and Hamilton.

Antonelli also broke Sebastian Vettel’s record as the youngest world champion. He is the first Italian champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953. The achievement had been anticipated earlier in the season, as reflected in the discussion about Antonelli’s potential to become the youngest champion.

From Mercedes junior to title winner

Mercedes signed Antonelli to its junior programme in 2019, when he was 12. He won titles in karting, Formula 4 and Formula Regional before skipping Formula 3 and moving directly into Formula 2 in 2024. The following year, aged 18, he made his Formula 1 debut with Mercedes and finished seventh in the standings.

His title-winning campaign brought nine victories, seven poles and 16 podiums. It was not without setbacks: mechanical failures ended his races in Barcelona and Silverstone, while he started 16th and finished fifth in Baku. He responded with wins in Belgium, Monza and Madrid, among others, building a substantial lead before the decisive weekend.

That Baku recovery was one of several moments in a season that demanded resilience; his difficult weekend in Baku came earlier in the championship run. In Mexico City, Antonelli did not need a victory. Third place was enough to complete his rise from Mercedes junior to the youngest Drivers’ champion in Formula 1 history.