Kimi Antonelli has set an all-time record in Formula 1 by clinching the 2026 Drivers’ Championship with the third-place result at the Mexico City Grand Prix.
The 20-year-old Mercedes driver beat Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton but accrued enough points to secure the championship with three events to go.
Antonelli beat Sebastian Vettel for the title, who was a three time world champion when he was a world champion three years earlier than the German.
It was a significant turnaround from his rocky rookie year in 2025, when costly errors and inconsistent outings questioned his suitability for Formula 1.
But the Italian mounted a strong fightback, winning his first race in Shanghai and then going on to win five in a row.
After the race, Antonelli praised his family and Mercedes for their support during the season.
“We are here. I am not here without my family and Mercedes. You will never take this away from us,” he said.
Verstappen and Hamilton, while ex-world champion Lando Norris called him a deserved victor.
With the win, Antonelli became the first driver from Italy to win the Formula 1 world championship since 1953, as well as the youngest driver to ever win the prestigious individual championship.
