Mexico City GP: Kimi Antonelli finishes P2 behind Leclerc to become youngest F1 World Champion

A teenage prodigy ascends to the summit of motorsport

The Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez bore witness to motorsport history on Sunday afternoon, 1 November, as 20-year-old Kimi Antonelli crossed the finish line in second place to be crowned the 2026 Formula 1 World Drivers’ Champion. In doing so, the Mercedes sensation broke Sebastian Vettel’s 16-year-old record by more than three years, becoming the youngest world champion since the championship’s inception in 1950.

Starting from pole position, Antonelli executed a tactically flawless 71-lap Grand Prix. Aware that a ninth-place finish would guarantee him the crown regardless of other results, the young Italian showed remarkable composure when Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc mounted a fierce challenge down the main straight on lap 15. Rather than risking contact, Antonelli allowed Leclerc through and settled into a metronomic rhythm, managing his hard tires and holding third-place Max Verstappen comfortably at bay.

Leclerc drove brilliantly to collect his fifth victory of the season by 4.2 seconds, but the day belonged entirely to Antonelli. When the checkered flag waved, team principal Toto Wolff came over the team radio in tears: “Kimi, you are the world champion! The youngest in history!”

Italian motorsport rejoices after 73-year wait

As Antonelli entered the Foro Sol baseball stadium section on his cool-down lap, the 150,000 fans erupted in thunderous applause. Antonelli stopped his car on the main straight, climbed atop his silver arrow, and draped himself in the Italian tricolor flag. He becomes the first Italian driver to win the Formula 1 World Championship since the legendary Alberto Ascari achieved the feat for Ferrari in 1953.

With 383 points, Antonelli holds an insurmountable 131-point lead over teammate George Russell with three rounds remaining in Brazil, Las Vegas, and Abu Dhabi. At just 20 years, two months, and seven days old, Antonelli has established himself as the defining driver of Formula 1’s new era.