Kimi Antonelli clinches Formula 1 title with third place in Mexico
Kimi Antonelli secured the 2026 Drivers' Championship after finishing third at the Mexico City Grand Prix on 1 Nov, making him the youngest champion in the sport's history. The race, won by Max Verstappen with Lewis Hamilton second, was delayed for more than 40 minutes following Valtteri Bottas’s crash. Antonelli’s result left rivals George Russell and Hamilton unable to catch him, ending a 73‑year title drought for Italy. He drives for Mercedes and clinched the title with four races still to run.
Key facts
- Antonelli is 20 years and 68 days old, the youngest ever Formula 1 champion.
- His season includes nine wins, 16 podiums and seven pole positions in 19 races.
- Mercedes regains the drivers' title for the first time since 2020.
- Antonelli started fourth, briefly led after pit stops and overtook Charles Leclerc on lap 48.
- A safety‑car period and red‑flag were triggered by Bottas’s crash before the race resumed on lap 47.
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Why it matters
Ends Italy's long championship gap and sets a new age record.
What changed
First published from NRK, Yahoo Sports, The Guardian, Sky Sports and Anadolu Agency