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Kimi Antonelli clinches the F1 title at 20 years and 68 days, the youngest champion ever
Antonelli took the crown with a third place in Mexico in only his second season, and the numbers behind it show how far he beat the old age record.
A record that fell by more than three years
Kimi Antonelli was 20 years and 68 days old when he became Formula 1 World Champion, the youngest ever [1]. For F1 fans, the sport has a new record holder and its 36th different drivers' champion [2].
The previous youngest champion was Sebastian Vettel, who won his first title in 2010 at 23 years and 134 days old [2]. Lewis Hamilton was 23 years and 300 days old when he won his first title in 2008 [1]. Max Verstappen became champion in 2021 at 24 years and 73 days old [1].
How the title was settled in Mexico
Antonelli sealed the title by finishing third at the Mexican Grand Prix [3]. He secured his maiden world title with that result at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez [3].
Hamilton finished second in Mexico [3]. Antonelli finished the season with 380 points, a total Verstappen could not reach even after winning the race [3]. Verstappen moved up to second in the standings, passing Hamilton [1].
From a first win in China to a lead he never gave up
Antonelli won the title in only his second season in F1, after replacing Hamilton at Mercedes in 2025 [2]. His first F1 win came at the Chinese Grand Prix in March, and he then went on a run of five consecutive wins that gave him a lead he never gave up [2].
He also won the Italian Grand Prix at Monza after starting 19th on the grid [2]. That made him the first Italian to win his home race since Ludovico Scarfiotti in 1966 [2].
Within Mercedes, Antonelli has more race wins (9) than his teammate George Russell (8) [4].
What it means for Italy and for F1
Antonelli is the first Italian to be crowned world champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953 [3]. His title ended Italy's 73-year wait for a third F1 world champion [2].
F1 has now crowned a first-time world champion in consecutive seasons, following McLaren's Lando Norris in 2025 [2]. FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem admitted he did a double-take when Antonelli submitted his FIA Super License application [4].
What the podium said
Antonelli said that sharing the podium with Verstappen and Hamilton was incredible [3]. Verstappen said he was very proud of Antonelli and how he handled the whole season [4].
Hamilton said it was beautiful to be on the podium with Antonelli for his first World Championship [4].
What to watch next
If you follow F1, the next race is the São Paulo GP at Interlagos on 8 November [1]. The Las Vegas Grand Prix is scheduled for 21 November [1].
Verstappen now sits second in the standings ahead of Hamilton, and Antonelli's 380 points are out of Verstappen's reach [1][3].
Sources
- Antonelli breaks Vettel’s record, crowned F1 World Champion at 20 — The South African
- Kimi Antonelli crowned youngest F1 world champion in history - ESPN — ESPN
- 'Get in there, Kimi:' Antonelli crowned youngest F1 champion in Mexico — Yahoo Sports
- Kimi Antonelli: F1’s Youngest World Champion Is Crowned in Mexico — The Drive
Written from the sources above and checked twice before publishing. How we work · Report an error
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