Foto: BB.LV / Антонелли
Italian Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli made history in Formula 1 on Sunday, November 1, becoming the youngest world champion. He secured the title following the Mexican Grand Prix — the 19th stage of the season, reports LETA citing AFP. At the time of winning the championship, Antonelli was 20 years and 68 days old. He significantly improved upon the achievement of four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel, who first won the title in 2010 at the age of 23 years and 134 days. Additionally, Antonelli became the first Italian in 73 years to win the Formula 1 World Championship. The last Italian to achieve such success was Alberto Ascari in 1953. ### Ninth Place Was Enough for the Championship Before the start of the race in Mexico City, Antonelli had such a large lead in the overall standings that finishing ninth was sufficient for him to clinch the title early. However, the Mercedes driver finished the race on the podium, taking third place. Max Verstappen from Red Bull won the Mexican Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton, driving for Ferrari, finished second. ### Crash, Red Flags, and Podium Battle The race began with intense competition among the Ferrari drivers. Hamilton started from pole position but lost positions in a battle with his teammate Charles Leclerc and went into a spin. Verstappen took advantage of this, moving up to second place. Later, Leclerc received a five-second penalty for leaving the track while gaining an advantage. Meanwhile, Antonelli stayed among the leaders, while his Mercedes teammate George Russell received a ten-second penalty for pushing Isaac Hajar off the track. After the first round of pit stops, Verstappen led the race, followed by Leclerc, Hamilton, and Antonelli. On lap 45, a safety car was deployed. Hamilton took the opportunity to change tires, but soon the race was stopped with red flags. The cause was a crash involving Valtteri Bottas in a Cadillac: special equipment was needed to evacuate the damaged car, and the protective barriers required repairs. The pause lasted more than half an hour. After the race resumed, Verstappen maintained his lead, Hamilton overtook Leclerc, and soon Antonelli passed the Monegasque as well. In the end, the top three did not change until the finish. ### Results of the Mexican Grand Prix | Position | Driver | Team | | -------- | ----------------- | ------------ | | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | | 2 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | | 3 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | | 4 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | | 5 | Lando Norris | McLaren | | 6 | George Russell | Mercedes | | 7 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | | 8 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | | 9 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | The results have been confirmed by the International Automobile Federation (FIA). ### Mercedes Close to Winning the Constructors' Cup After 19 out of 23 stages, Antonelli has scored 380 points and is unreachable for his pursuers. Verstappen holds second place in the individual standings with 261 points, while Hamilton is third with 259. They are followed by Russell (250), Leclerc (245), and Norris (221). In the Constructors' Cup, Mercedes leads with 630 points. Ferrari is in second place with 504 points, Red Bull is third with 380, and McLaren is fourth with 371. Last season, Lando Norris became the world champion for the first time, and McLaren won the Constructors' Cup for the second consecutive year. On top of the world ✨ #F1 #MexicoGP https://t.co/B93cdpuxNd— Formula 1 (@F1) November 1, 2026
