Sports
oi-Ashish Rana
Kimi Antonelli has made Formula 1 history by becoming the youngest world champion at the age of 20 years and 68 days. The Italian driver secured his first title after finishing third at the Mexico City Grand Prix.
Kimi Antonelli became the youngest Formula 1 world champion at 20 years and 68 days, breaking Sebastian Vettel’s record and becoming the first Italian F1 champion since 1953 after finishing third in the Mexico City Grand Prix.
Antonelli finished behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton. His steady performance helped him win the championship, while the race also saw tension between Hamilton and his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc.
Antonelli Creates Formula 1 History
Antonelli has broken Sebastian Vettel’s record to become the youngest Formula 1 world champion. Vettel was the previous record holder, and Antonelli has beaten his mark by three years and 66 days.
KIMI ANTONELLI IS THE 2026 F1 WORLD CHAMPION!!! 🏆The youngest to ever do it at 20 years and 68 days old!#F1 #MexicoGP https://t.co/AtRw2RZsg9
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 1, 2026
He is also the first Italian driver to win the Formula 1 title since Alberto Ascari in 1953.
Antonelli became emotional during his radio conversation with the Mercedes team after learning that he had won the championship.
“Thank you so much. We did it. We did it,” he said.
Red Flag Changes The Mexico City GP
The race saw several incidents and safety interruptions. Valtteri Bottas crashed his Cadillac on lap 45 after a front suspension failure under braking for Turn One.
The incident first brought out the safety car. However, the race was later stopped because officials needed time to repair the barriers.
Another safety car came out with 12 laps remaining after Arvid Lindblad crashed following contact with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri.
At the final restart, Verstappen and Hamilton fought for the lead, while Antonelli stayed close behind them. All three drivers crossed the finish line within two seconds of each other.
Verstappen leads Hamilton and Antonelli in Mexico City! 🙌Here are the points finishers ⬇️#F1 #MexicoGP https://t.co/7LiOozYzuw
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 1, 2026
Ferrari Faces Tension Between Hamilton And Leclerc
The biggest controversy involved Hamilton and Leclerc on the opening lap. Leclerc passed Hamilton after going off track and was given a five-second penalty.
Hamilton felt the incident had affected Ferrari’s chances of winning the race. Verstappen used the battle between the Ferrari drivers to take the lead and secure his third victory in four races.
Antonelli Needed Only Ninth Place To Win The Title
Antonelli entered the race knowing that he only needed to finish ninth to secure the championship. His main rivals were Hamilton and his Mercedes teammate George Russell.
Rewriting history 💪We have a new youngest-ever Drivers Champion. Take a bow, Kimi Antonelli 🏆#F1 #MexicoGP https://t.co/zeU9lCeKX0
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 2, 2026
He started fourth and maintained a steady pace throughout the race. He moved into third after Leclerc struggled following the restart. Russell finished sixth after receiving a 10-second penalty for his opening-lap collision with Isack Hadjar.
The result gave Antonelli the title with four races still remaining in the 2026 season.
