Antonelli and Mercedes are 2026 F1 champions: how both titles were won

Updated after the São Paulo Grand Prix, 8 November: Mercedes are the 2026 constructors’ champions, after Antonelli won the drivers’ title in Mexico City. Lando Norris won at Interlagos ahead of Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar. Full São Paulo GP results.

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Kimi Antonelli is the 2026 Formula 1 world champion. Third place at the Mexico City Grand Prix on 1 November gave him 380 points, 119 more than Max Verstappen, with only 100 points left in the last four Grands Prix. At 20, the Mercedes driver is younger than any champion before him: Sebastian Vettel was 23 when he won the 2010 title. The full story: Kimi Antonelli is Formula 1 world champion at 20.

Antonelli needed a top-nine finish in Mexico City and took third, behind race winner Verstappen and Hamilton in the Ferrari. His team-mate George Russell, the closest rival before the race, finished sixth after a 10-second penalty and dropped to fourth in the standings. Our race report: Verstappen wins the Mexico City Grand Prix as Antonelli is crowned world champion.

111 points clear with 75 left

After the São Paulo Grand Prix three races remain: Las Vegas (21 November), Qatar (29 November) and Abu Dhabi (6 December). There are no sprints left this season. A Grand Prix win is worth 25 points and there is no point for the fastest lap, so the most any driver can still add is 75.

Standings after round 20, São Paulo, from the official formula1.com drivers’ standings. Maximum possible assumes the driver wins all three remaining Grands Prix. Even then Verstappen would end on 354 points, 36 short of the 390 Antonelli already has.

Five drivers within 33 points in the fight for second

The drivers’ title is settled, second place is not. Verstappen’s second place at Interlagos, from 21st on the grid, took him to 279 points. Russell (262) moved up to third, one point ahead of Hamilton (261), with Leclerc on 249 and Norris, the São Paulo winner, on 246. Five drivers are within 33 points of each other with 75 to play for. Oscar Piastri (152) can no longer finish second: his maximum is 227.

Mercedes are the 2026 constructors’ champions

Mercedes sealed the 2026 constructors’ championship at Interlagos. Russell’s fourth place and Antonelli’s fifth took the team to 652 points, 142 ahead of Ferrari on 510. With three Grands Prix left and no sprints, Ferrari can score at most 129 more, so the gap can no longer be closed. Red Bull Racing are third on 415 and McLaren fourth on 398. The full story: Mercedes win the 2026 Formula 1 constructors’ title at Interlagos.

Our read

Mercedes did not need a win in São Paulo, only two clean finishes, and Russell and Antonelli delivered them. With both titles decided, the last three races are about second place. Five drivers are separated by 33 points, and Verstappen’s drive from 21st to second shows how quickly that gap can move.

Next up: Las Vegas on 21 November

The season continues with the Las Vegas Grand Prix, which starts on Saturday 21 November at 20:00 local time (Sunday 22 November at 05:00 CET, Saturday 21 November at 23:00 ET). The full season is on our 2026 Formula 1 calendar and the latest table on our F1 standings 2026 page. We update this page after every race.

Next season’s dates are in our F1 2027 calendar.

Sources: formula1.com drivers’ and teams’ standings and São Paulo Grand Prix provisional race classification, 8 November 2026.

Who finishes second behind Antonelli: Verstappen, Russell, Hamilton, Leclerc or Norris? Tell us in the comments.