Kimi Antonelli makes history in Mexico and becomes the youngest ever Formula 1 champion
The Italian Mercedes driver won his first world title at the age of 20 years and 68 days, after finishing third in the Mexican Grand Prix, behind Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. He also became the first Italian to win the championship in 73 years.
Image by Kimi Antonelli
Italian driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli became the youngest ever champion in Formula 1 history this Sunday, winning his first world title at just 20 years and 68 days, after finishing third in the Mexican Grand Prix.
The Mercedes driver crossed the finish line at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez behind Dutch driver Max Verstappen and British driver Lewis Hamilton—a result sufficient to mathematically secure the championship.
"We did it! I wouldn't be here without Mercedes or my family," said an emotional Antonelli, who has racked up nine wins so far this season, his second in the top tier of motorsports.
After stepping out of the car, the new champion ran toward his teammates, who welcomed him with hugs and celebrations.
Antonelli also ended a 73-year wait for Italy by becoming the first driver from that country to win the world championship since Alberto Ascari, who claimed back-to-back titles in 1952 and 1953. The first was Giuseppe Farina, winner of the inaugural season in 1950.
With his third-place finish in Mexico, the Mercedes driver reached 380 points, a total that put him out of reach of his pursuers in the world standings.
Verstappen, a six-time winner in Mexico and the all-time leader in victories at the circuit, moved up to second place in the championship with 261 points. Hamilton retained third place with 259 points.
The Dutch driver started from fifth position and worked his way up the field past the Ferraris. He also capitalized on Hamilton's delay—Hamilton had led the start—and a five-second penalty imposed on Charles Leclerc.
A championship that began to take shape in Mexico
Antonelli started from fourth position on the grid and took the lead around lap 30, when the drivers ahead of him pitted.
The Italian was the last driver to make his pit stop and returned to the track to finish the race on the podium, a result that allowed him to secure the world title.
His coronation also fulfilled the wish of a young Colombian fan. Before the race, Mariana, a teenager from Bogotá, held up a sign next to the track with the message: "My wish for my 15th birthday is to see you become world champion."
The young woman traveled to Mexico with her mother to celebrate her birthday at the Grand Prix. Her family spent about $7,000 on plane tickets and race tickets, not including lodging and food expenses.
From go-karts to the top of Formula 1
A native of Bologna, Italy, Antonelli began his motorsports career at age seven, in 2014, when he took his first steps in karting.
In 2021, he made his debut in Formula 4 and, three years later, moved up to Formula 2. His association with Mercedes began in 2019, when he joined the team's young driver program.
In 2024, he joined as a Formula 1 test driver and began to emerge as Lewis Hamilton's successor at Mercedes.
His first victory
At that same Grand Prix, he secured his first pole position and set the record as the youngest driver to achieve it, at 19 years, six months, and 17 days.
Now, with his coronation in Mexico, Antonelli adds another historic milestone to his career: that of the youngest ever world champion in Formula 1 history.
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