Kimi Antonelli is Formula 1 world champion at 20, the youngest in history

Kimi Antonelli is the 2026 Formula 1 world champion. The 20-year-old Mercedes driver clinched the title at the Mexico City Grand Prix on Sunday 1 November, with four races still to go, and is now the youngest world champion in the history of the sport. He finished third, and Max Verstappen won the race for Red Bull: our Mexico City Grand Prix race report.

Full classification: Mexico City Grand Prix 2026 results. How the title was decided: the 2026 championship permutations.

Crowned at the end of a week that began with a virus

Antonelli arrived in Mexico City 123 points clear of George Russell and 124 clear of Lewis Hamilton, so he could afford to lose up to 23 points to Russell and 24 to Hamilton. The week did not start smoothly. On Thursday Mercedes said he was recovering from a viral illness, and the FIA excused him from his media duties as a precaution.

After his win in Austin a week earlier, he had made clear how he wanted to finish the job. “I would love to clinch the title in style with a great result,” Antonelli said, as quoted by formula1.com.

Three years younger than Vettel was

The record he takes belonged to Sebastian Vettel, who was 23 years and 134 days old when he won the 2010 title in Abu Dhabi. Antonelli, born in Bologna on 25 August 2006, is champion at 20 years and 68 days. He beats that mark by more than three years, in only his second Formula 1 season. Our earlier look at the record: Antonelli’s path to becoming F1’s youngest champion.

Italy’s first champion since Ascari in 1953

He is also the first Italian world champion since Alberto Ascari won his second title for Ferrari in 1953, and he gives Mercedes its first drivers’ title since Lewis Hamilton in 2020. In between, Max Verstappen took four titles in a row for Red Bull and Lando Norris won in 2025 for McLaren.

Nine wins before Mexico, five of them in a row

Antonelli built the title in spring. After second place behind Russell in Australia, he won five Grands Prix in a row: China, Japan, Miami, Canada and Monaco. Later he added Belgium, a home win at Monza despite a grid penalty, Madrid and the United States, where he won from pole in Austin. Before Mexico that made nine wins and 15 podiums from 18 Grands Prix. His full record: Kimi Antonelli profile.

Our view: the spring streak did the work

Five wins in a row by early June gave Antonelli a cushion that the rest of the season could not wear down. From Barcelona onwards the wins were spread around: Hamilton and Charles Leclerc for Ferrari, Norris twice for McLaren, Verstappen twice for Red Bull and Russell twice more in the other Mercedes. Because no single rival strung results together, a points gap that was large in June was still large in October. The comparison that will count most is the one with Russell in the same car: nine wins to three before Mexico. That is not a lucky season, and at 20 it is hard to see this as his last title.

Second place is still open between four drivers

Behind Antonelli the fight for runner-up goes on. Before Mexico, Russell had 242 points, Hamilton 241, Verstappen 236 and Leclerc 233. The next round is the São Paulo Grand Prix on Sunday 8 November, starting at 14:00 local time, 17:00 UK, 18:00 CET and 12:00 ET. The latest table: F1 standings 2026.

Sources: formula1.com race results, driver standings and Antonelli’s driver page; formula1.com, 25 October 2026, for the quote after the United States Grand Prix; Mercedes statement of 29 October 2026 on Antonelli’s illness.

The photo everyone is talking about: Verstappen and Hamilton carry Antonelli on their shoulders.

Is this the start of a long Antonelli era, or will Russell, Verstappen or Norris stop him in 2027? Tell us in the comments.