--- title: "Kimi Antonelli: F1’s Youngest World Champion Is Crowned in Mexico" date: "2026-11-02" modified: "2026-11-02" authors: - name: "Jerry Perez" job_title: "Deputy Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jerry-perez.md" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/kimi-antonelli-f1s-youngest-world-champion-is-crowned-in-mexico" categories: - "F1" - "News" - "Racing" --- # Kimi Antonelli: F1’s Youngest World Champion Is Crowned in Mexico ![Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli of Italy celebrates winning the Formula One United States Grand Prix, in Austin, Texas, the United States, Oct. 25, 2026. (Photo by Song Haiyuan/Xinhua via Getty Images)]() *\Xinhua News Agency via Getty\* The permutations going into the 2026 [Formula 1]() Mexico City Grand Prix were clear: unless something catastrophic happened to Kimi Andrea Antonelli or the Mercedes W26 underneath him, the 20-year-old would become the sport’s youngest-ever world champion in one of the world’s most vibrant cities. And so he did, with the charismatic Italian being hoisted into the air at the podium by his predecessors, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, after finishing third place during Sunday's race. Among the three drivers in the now-iconic picture: 12 world championships. Antonelli enjoyed the kind of fiesta only Mexicans can throw, with the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez stadium section jam-packed with fans supporting the three champions, as well as local hero Checo Pérez, who finished his home race in 11th place. ![MEXICO CITY, MEXICO - NOVEMBER 01: Race winner Max Verstappen (L), 2026 F1 World Drivers' Champion and third-place finisher Andrea Kimi Antonelli (C), and second-place finisher Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari celebrate on the podium during the F1 Grand Prix of Mexico at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City, Mexico, on November 01, 2026. (Photo by Daniel Cardenas/Anadolu via Getty Images)]() **Anadolu via Getty** Back in 2010, Sebastian Vettel became the [youngest-ever F1 champion]() at 23 years and 134 days old. Second on that list is Lewis Hamilton, who came in second place at Sunday's Mexican GP and won his first title at 23 years and 300 days old in 2008. Max Verstappen, who won Sunday but was hardly the focus of the celebrations, became an F1 champ at 24 years and 73 days old in 2021. Fernando Alonso rounds up the top five, winning his first title in 2005 at 24 years and 57 days old. That said, Antonelli’s rise to fame was much, much quicker, reaching the milestone that all F1 drivers set out to accomplish, yet most of them never do. All you have to know about his god-given capability is that he clinched the drivers’ championship in just his second season in the sport, and he now has more race wins (9) than his teammate George Russell (8), who has been racing since 2019. ![MEXICO CITY, MEXICO - NOVEMBER 01: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (3) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB22 Red Bull Ford Powertrains and Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain driving the (44) Scuderia Ferrari SF-26 battle for the lead at the restart during the F1 Grand Prix of Mexico at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on November 01, 2026 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)]() ![Mercedes' Italian driver Kimi Antonelli celebrates with his father Marco Antonelli after winning the world championship title at the end of the Mexico City Formula One Grand Prix, at the Hermanos Rodriguez racetrack in Mexico City on November 1st, 2026. (Photo by Alfredo ESTRELLA / AFP)]() As [FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem ]()told me in Austin a week ago, Antonelli is not only a generational talent, but someone who puts in the work, day in and day out, someone who never complains, and someone who simply gets on with the job regardless of what’s going on around him. This kind of performance from someone so young is so unheard of that Ben Sulayem admitted he [did a double-take when Antonelli submitted his FIA Super License]() application. It’s unclear what the rest of the season will look like, given the uncertainty in the Middle East, meaning that we could possibly have just two races left: Brazil and Vegas. Maybe something will come through at the last minute, as it did for MotoGP in Qatar, but I find it unlikely at this point. The rumors out of the paddock in Austin and Mexico were inconclusive, with some contacts saying they were heading to the Middle East after Vegas and others saying the opposite. “I think to achieve this in your second year in F1 is always very impressive,” Verstappen said after the race. “Because, of course, at his age as well, to be so solid, not make big mistakes, and of course, also beat your experienced team mate, he's just driven incredible. And I'm very proud of him, how he has handled himself this whole season. It's not always easy to deliver every single weekend, but he has done that, and he's the deserved champion this year.” ![Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli celebrates winning the 2026 Drivers Championship following the Mexican Grand Prix, at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City. Picture date: Sunday November 1, 2026. (Photo by Bradley Collyer/PA Images via Getty Images)]() **Bradley Collyer via Getty** Meanwhile, the man whom Antonelli replaced at Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton, had this to say: “I mean, it was beautiful to be up there with these two and to be up there with Kimi for his first World Championship. I think it was a very special moment, one of the most special moments that I remember having here.” Congratulations, Kimi. You are a legend. *Got a tip? Email us at tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Jerry is responsible for upholding The Drive's ethos as an audience-first, enthusiast-driven car blog that serves up industry-leading news, reviews, culture, and motorsport coverage. Overseeing a staff of writers and editors from his home base in Indianapolis, he helps curate the site's daily rundown, as well as its medium- and long-term content strategies. Jerry joined The Drive in 2018 as a writer and worked as news editor and managing editor before becoming the deputy in 2023. As a lifelong car enthusiast and racing fan, Jerry believes that all cars are cool, but the people behind the machines are even cooler. This belief often gives The Drive a slightly different focus from most other car sites, where we explore the humanity behind the machines. When he's not obsessing over the day's biggest stories or hanging out at a race track, Jerry can be found behind the wheel of a car, most likely sharing a laugh with his teenage son or daughter. ### Author social links [Instagram]() ## More - [F1 Steward’s McLaren Ties in Spotlight After Verstappen Penalty]() - [Lando Norris Rolls Up to US Grand Prix in a Custom 1973 Plymouth Barracuda]() - [American Logan Sargeant Officially Secures Williams F1 Seat for 2023]() - [Daniel Ricciardo Says He Won’t Race in F1 Next Year]() - [Verstappen Seals Record F1 Season With Mighty 19th Win in Abu Dhabi]() - [GM Plans to Supply Formula 1 Power Units Starting in 2028]() - [F1 Asked GM to Partner With Someone Other Than Andretti: Report]() - [Ford CEO Jim Farley Hits Back at Cadillac F1 CEO’s Criticism: ‘It’s Laughable’]()