made Formula 1 history at the Mexico City Grand Prix on November 1 when he sealed the 2026 drivers’ title at the age of 20 years and 68 days. The Mercedes driver finished third in the 71-lap race, enough to become the youngest world champion the sport has ever seen and break Sebastian Vettel’s long-standing record from 2010.
Antonelli started fourth and crossed the line 4.006 seconds behind race winner . Ferrari’s finished second after starting from pole. Antonelli only needed a ninth-place finish to claim the championship, yet his podium ensured the title with races still remaining on the calendar.
The Mexico City Grand Prix result confirmed Kimi Antonelli’s position at the top of the standings. took the race win by 0.799 seconds from Lewis Hamilton, while Antonelli’s third place delivered the points he required. It marked a controlled end to a strong second season for the Italian driver, who has now added a world title to a growing list of early career achievements with Mercedes.
The updated ranking of the youngest drivers to win their first Formula 1 title is as follows:
1. (Mercedes, 2026): 20 years 68 days
2. Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull, 2010): 23 years 134 days
3. Lewis Hamilton (McLaren, 2008): 23 years 300 days
4. Fernando Alonso (Renault, 2005): aged 24
5. Max Verstappen (Red Bull, 2021): 24 years 73 days
6. Emerson Fittipaldi (Lotus, 1972): 25 years 273 days
Kimi Antonelli’s margin over Sebastian Vettel is more than three years. Vettel claimed his first title at the 2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after entering the season finale 15 points behind Fernando Alonso. Lewis Hamilton became the then-youngest champion in 2008 by finishing fifth in the Brazilian Grand Prix after overtaking Timo Glock in the closing stages. Alonso ended Michael Schumacher’s title run in 2005, while Verstappen and Fittipaldi complete the list of drivers who previously held the youngest-champion distinction.
Kimi Antonelli’s achievement is notable for both its timing and its context. He made his Formula 1 debut with Mercedes at the 2025 Australian Grand Prix at the age of 18. In just his second full season, he has recorded nine Grand Prix wins and 16 podium finishes. He is also the first Italian drivers’ champion since Alberto Ascari in , and the title is Mercedes’ fourth in the modern era.
The 20-year-old’s rapid rise has reset the benchmark for early success in Formula 1. Sebastian Vettel’s record had stood for 16 years until the Mexico City result. With the championship now secured, attention turns to how Antonelli builds on this foundation in the seasons ahead.
