Kimi Antonelli becomes Formula One's youngest world champion as Verstappen wins in Mexico City
Third place at the Mexico City Grand Prix was enough for Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli to seal the 2026 drivers' title at 20 years and 68 days, with four races to spare. He is Italy's first F1 champion since Alberto Ascari.
Kimi Antonelli is the youngest world champion in Formula One history. The Mercedes driver finished third at the Mexico City Grand Prix on Sunday, enough to clinch the 2026 drivers' championship with four races still to run.
Max Verstappen won the race for Red Bull, holding off Lewis Hamilton, who finished second for Ferrari.
Antonelli was 20 years and 68 days old when he sealed the title. He is the first Italian to become world champion since Alberto Ascari, who won back-to-back titles with Ferrari in 1952 and 1953.
His title season has included nine Grand Prix wins, among them his home race in Italy, as Mercedes emerged as the leading team under the sport's new 2026 regulations.
Source: Formula1.com, ESPN, Al Jazeera, Motorsport.com. Photo: Liauzh / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0).
