Kimi Antonelli Becomes Youngest F1 World Champion at Mexico City Grand Prix

Historic Achievement for Kimi Antonelli

In a remarkable feat, Kimi Antonelli has etched his name in Formula 1 history by becoming the youngest World Champion ever. This milestone was achieved after he secured a third-place finish at the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix, which was sufficient to clinch the title for the Mercedes driver. Max Verstappen emerged victorious in the race, finishing ahead of Lewis Hamilton.

The 20-year-old Italian entered the 71-lap race at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez on Sunday, knowing that a ninth-place finish would be enough to secure his first F1 world title, regardless of the performances of his rivals, Hamilton and teammate George Russell, as noted by the Formula 1 website.

Starting from the fourth position, Antonelli showcased a steady performance, finishing third despite the race being marred by several incidents. He skillfully navigated a mid-race red flag caused by a serious crash involving Valtteri Bottas, as well as a late Safety Car period due to an accident involving Arvid Lindblad.

On the other hand, Verstappen celebrated his third win of the season after successfully fending off a late challenge from Hamilton. After starting fifth, the Red Bull driver took advantage of a fierce battle among the Ferrari drivers to position himself for the lead.

Verstappen quickly moved to second place on the first lap and then took the lead when Charles Leclerc incurred a time penalty for cutting the track while competing with polesitter Hamilton.

The Dutch driver maintained his lead through the standing restart and held strong when the Safety Car was withdrawn with just eight laps to go, resisting Hamilton's relentless pressure to cross the finish line first.

Leclerc ultimately finished in fourth place after defending against a late surge from Lando Norris, while Russell secured fifth for Mercedes. Liam Lawson rounded out the top six for Racing Bulls after starting from the pit lane.