Kimi Antonelli Claims First Formula One World Title as Youngest Champion Ever

Key facts

• Kimi Antonelli became Formula One's youngest world champion at 20 years and 68 days old by finishing third for Mercedes at the Mexico City Grand Prix at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on 2 November 2026.
• The previous youngest champion was Sebastian Vettel, who won his first title with Red Bull at 23 years and 134 days old in 2010.
• Antonelli is the first Italian Formula One champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953.
• Red Bull's Max Verstappen won the red-flagged, restarted race, his second win of the season, and moved to second in the drivers' standings.
• Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton started from pole position and finished second, while Charles Leclerc was fourth after receiving a five-second penalty for a clash with Hamilton.
• Antonelli's championship lead reached an unassailable 119 points; George Russell finished sixth and dropped to fourth, 130 points behind.
• The race was stopped for 33 minutes after Valtteri Bottas's Cadillac suffered a high-speed front-left suspension failure on lap 46 of 71; Bottas went to the medical centre and was released.
• Mercedes lead the constructors' standings with 630 points to Ferrari's 504 and could clinch that title in Brazil the following weekend.