Antonelli becomes youngest F1 champion as Verstappen wins Mexico City GP

BEIJING, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli became the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history on Sunday after finishing third in the Mexico City Grand Prix, ending Italy's 73-year wait for a drivers' title.

Mercedes' Italian driver Kimi Antonelli celebrates with the trophy after winning the Formula One world championship title after the Mexico City Formula One Grand Prix at the Hermanos Rodriguez racetrack in Mexico City on November 1, 2026. (Photo: AFP)

The 20-year-old secured his maiden championship with four races to spare, eclipsing Sebastian Vettel's previous record by more than three years and becoming the first Italian to win the title since Alberto Ascari claimed his second consecutive crown in 1953.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen won a chaotic race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, holding off Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton by 0.799 seconds, but the afternoon belonged to Antonelli, whose composed drive completed a remarkable transformation from an inconsistent rookie into Formula 1's newest champion.

At 20 years and 68 days old, Antonelli broke the record set by Vettel, who was 23 years and 134 days old when he won his first championship with Red Bull in 2010.

It also marked a striking reversal of fortunes within Mercedes. In his debut season in 2025, Antonelli had been comprehensively outscored and outperformed by teammate George Russell, raising questions over whether his promotion to F1 had come too soon.

Twelve months later, the Italian has emphatically answered those doubts, establishing himself as Mercedes' leading driver and leaving his more experienced British teammate firmly in the shade.

Antonelli claimed his maiden Grand Prix victory in China, the second round of the season, before embarking on a remarkable run of success that established him as the championship favorite.

His ninth victory of the season at last weekend's United States Grand Prix left him on the brink of the championship, with only Russell and Hamilton retaining mathematical hopes of denying him the title.

Starting fourth in Mexico City, Antonelli needed only to finish ninth to secure the crown. He remained largely clear of the incidents that disrupted the race before overtaking Ferrari's Charles Leclerc following a red-flag restart to move into third place.

The Italian maintained that position to the chequered flag, becoming visibly emotional as his race engineer Peter Bonnington congratulated him over the team radio.

"We did it! Thank you so much," Antonelli said, struggling to contain his emotions.

"I wouldn't be here without Mercedes, without my family, so I'm very grateful for this moment and it's one that will live forever," he added after the race.

While Antonelli celebrated, Verstappen claimed his third victory in four races after capitalizing on a fierce opening-lap battle between Ferrari teammates Hamilton and Leclerc.

Hamilton had started from pole position but lost the lead amid a frantic opening sequence, with Verstappen emerging ahead as the Ferrari drivers fought for position.

The race was interrupted by a lengthy red flag following a heavy crash for Cadillac's Valtteri Bottas, whose car suffered a suspension failure, before further incidents and safety car periods disrupted the closing stages.

At the restart, Verstappen and Hamilton made contact while battling for the lead, but the Dutchman retained his advantage and held off the seven-time world champion to take victory.

Despite struggling badly with flat-spotted tyres, Leclerc just held off McLaren's Lando Norris to take fourth, while Russell endured a frustrating afternoon to finish sixth, further underlining the contrasting fortunes of the Mercedes teammates.

Oscar Piastri took seventh for McLaren, followed by Alpine's Franco Colapinto, Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson and Colapinto's teammate Pierre Gasly.

Antonelli now holds an unassailable 119-point championship lead, while Verstappen has moved into second place in the standings. Russell has slipped to fourth, 130 points behind his teammate.

Mercedes also remains on course for the constructors' championship, holding a 126-point advantage over Ferrari ahead of next weekend's Sao Paulo Grand Prix.