Kimi Antonelli clinched the 2026 Formula One world championship in Mexico City on Sunday, finishing third behind race winner Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. The Mercedes driver’s result made him the youngest world champion in F1 history and ended Italy’s 73-year wait for another title-holder.

A podium that settled the title

Antonelli’s third place at the Mexico City Grand Prix was enough to make the championship mathematically secure, with four races still left in the season. The race winner was Verstappen, who took the victory for Red Bull, while Hamilton was second for Ferrari and Antonelli completed the podium for Mercedes.

That order gave the championship a clear shape. Antonelli did not need to win the race to clinch the title; his third-place finish made the championship mathematically secure.

A race interrupted by crashes and a red flag

The Mexican Grand Prix itself was anything but straightforward. A crash involving Valtteri Bottas triggered a red flag and forced the race to stop while barriers were repaired. Later, another incident brought out the safety car again, adding more uncertainty to the closing laps.

Even so, the final classification held Antonelli in third. Verstappen’s win and Hamilton’s second place shaped the race narrative, but the bigger championship consequence belonged to the Mercedes driver who crossed the line just behind them.

What the record means

Antonelli became the youngest Formula One world champion, breaking the record previously held by Sebastian Vettel. His title also gave Italy its first world champion since Alberto Ascari, who last won the crown in 1953.

The achievement marks a sharp rise for a driver Mercedes has backed since he entered its junior programme in April 2019. The team’s long-term investment had already produced signs of promise, including three podiums in Antonelli’s 2025 Formula One season, but Mexico City turned that progress into a championship.

For Mercedes, the title came after Toto Wolff chose Antonelli as Lewis Hamilton’s successor. For Formula One, it adds a new name to a short list of champions and resets one of the sport’s most durable age records.