Antonelli celebrates Formula One title at 20 as Ferrari faces opening-lap criticism

Kimi Antonelli celebrated becoming Formula One’s youngest world champion at 20 after finishing third in Mexico City on November 1, 2026. Race winner Max Verstappen and runner-up Lewis Hamilton lifted the Mercedes driver onto their shoulders on the podium, according to the Guardian. Hamilton also called for Ferrari to act over Charles Leclerc’s opening-lap challenge.¹

A title secured on the podium

Antonelli arrived in Mexico needing to finish ninth or higher to guarantee the championship regardless of his rivals’ results. He started fourth and finished third in the 71-lap race, according to the FIA’s account. His final position put him comfortably above the threshold required to secure the title.¹³

The race was interrupted after Valtteri Bottas crashed at the first corner. The FIA attributed the crash to a failure of the left-front suspension and said Bottas was released from the medical centre without injury. The stoppage lasted almost 40 minutes before the field assembled for a standing restart.¹³

Antonelli overtook Charles Leclerc for third after the restart, according to the FIA. Leclerc finished fourth after receiving a five-second penalty for leaving the circuit and gaining an advantage. Hamilton finished 0.799 seconds behind Verstappen, whose victory was his third of the season and sixth at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, the governing body reported.¹³

The Guardian reported that Leclerc challenged Hamilton on the opening lap, went off the circuit and took the position, leaving Hamilton vulnerable to Verstappen’s pass. The newspaper described the move as costing Ferrari a potential one-two. Hamilton urged Ferrari to respond, while team principal Fred Vasseur said the episode disregarded the efforts of the team and its staff.¹

The season behind the championship

The championship was secured in Antonelli’s second Formula One season. The BBC reported that he collected six pole positions and six victories in the opening 11 races, building a 50-point advantage. According to the Guardian, he had held the championship lead since the third round, in Japan.¹²

By the Mexican race, Antonelli had won nine grands prix, the Guardian reported, with his two failures to score points both caused by mechanical problems. His victories included the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, where he won after starting 19th. The BBC attributed that starting position to an engine penalty.¹²

Mercedes had expected Antonelli to use 2025 to develop his experience before delivering results in 2026, according to the BBC. The Guardian reported that he joined the team’s young driver programme at 12 and was promoted to replace Hamilton the season before his championship success.¹²

Records for driver and team

According to the Guardian, Antonelli became the first Italian champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953 and the 36th driver to win the title. The newspaper identified Sebastian Vettel, who won in 2010 aged 23, as the previous holder of the youngest-champion record.¹

The result also gave Mercedes its first drivers’ championship since Hamilton’s 2020 title and its tenth overall, the Guardian reported. Peter Bonnington marked Antonelli’s achievement by saying: “It is a very special day, a young man has broken the record for the youngest world champion.”¹

His rivals also praised his season. Defending champion Lando Norris said Antonelli had been exceptional and deserved more credit. Verstappen praised his consistency and avoidance of major mistakes, while Hamilton described his year as faultless, the Guardian reported.¹

Antonelli was 20 when he secured the record, according to the Guardian. Verstappen and Hamilton lifted him onto their shoulders on the podium. After the award ceremony, Nessun Dorma brought Antonelli to tears; he said the music was particularly meaningful because his grandfather used to listen to it.¹