Antonelli claims F1 title at age 20 with third-place finish

Kimi Antonelli is now the youngest Formula One world champion in history. The 20-year-old Italian clinched the title on Sunday by finishing third in the Mexico City Grand Prix. That result gave him a comfortable lead over his rivals, securing the drivers' championship for Mercedes.

Antonelli first entered the F1 paddock in 2014 at age seven. His father, sportscar racer Marco, was competing in a support race at the German Grand Prix. Young Kimi wanted to see behind the scenes but lacked official access. He hid inside a stack of tires. “I don’t even know how I fit inside the tire, but it was really tight,” he recalled in 2025. “Plus, we put an umbrella on top so it wouldn’t look, you know, suspicious or anything.”

His path to the top seat was not direct. Ferrari initially hesitated to sign him when he was 11, citing his age. He joined Mercedes' junior program instead. He progressed quickly through karting and won titles in car racing starting in 2021. Charles Leclerc of Ferrari noted that Antonelli's ability to manage laps under pressure was impressive from the start.

His rookie season in 2025 was turbulent. He crashed during a practice session at the Italian Grand Prix in 2024 before his full debut. Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff called his early driving underwhelming. Antonelli admitted the pressure was heavy. “I let the pressure kind of destroy me as well during that period,” he said. He also set a record as the youngest driver to qualify for pole position in Miami that year.

The 2026 season brought a turning point. New regulations changed how the cars handle power and grip. Antonelli's aggressive driving style suited these changes better than that of his teammate, George Russell. Antonelli won his first race in China in March. He followed that with four more victories. His performance at the Italian Grand Prix in September was particularly strong. He started 19th on the grid, faced an engine penalty, and still won the race.

Russell praised Antonelli's consistency on low-grip tracks. “With how things have fallen this year, it’s kind of the perfect driving style for these cars,” Russell said. The two drivers are viewed as the top performers of the 2026 season. Antonelli's name also carries weight in the sport. A family friend suggested it when he was born in 2006, around the time Kimi Raikkonen won the title for Ferrari. Antonelli says it was not a direct tribute, just a name that came to mind.

The championship win concludes a long journey from a kid hiding in tires to the top of the grid. He stands alone as the youngest to achieve this feat. The next major event on the calendar is scheduled for the United States Grand Prix.