Celebrations were underway in Kimi Antonelli's hometown on Monday after the 20-year-old secured the Formula One world championship in Mexico. In Casalecchio, near Bologna, friends, relatives and neighbors were celebrating his achievement even as they waited to learn when his racing commitments would allow him to return home.
Antonelli clinched the championship on Sunday with a third-place finish at the Mexico City Grand Prix. Max Verstappen won the race, but Antonelli's place on the podium gave him enough in the overall season standings to secure the title. He became the youngest world champion in Formula One history and the first Italian winner since Alberto Ascari in 1953.
More than 500 people watched the decisive race together at a theater in Casalecchio on Sunday, the town's mayor, Matteo Ruggeri, told Italian news agency ANSA. The gathering allowed residents to follow their hometown driver's championship success together. A welcome celebration is planned for when Antonelli can fit a visit home into his racing schedule.
The response extended beyond the town where Antonelli grew up. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni celebrated his victory as a source of pride for the country. Tennis player Jannik Sinner was among the prominent sports figures who used social media to congratulate the new champion following his achievement in Mexico.
Although Ferrari is closely associated with Italy's presence in Formula One, Antonelli won the championship driving for Mercedes. On Sunday's podium, he stood alongside Verstappen and Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time world champion is the driver Antonelli replaced at Mercedes.
Bologna was also making arrangements on Monday to recognize Antonelli's success. Mayor Matteo Lepore announced that the driver would receive the Nettuno d'Oro, the city's civic honor. Lepore praised his talent and determination in bringing the Formula One world championship back to an Italian driver after 73 years.
For residents of Casalecchio, the achievement also carries a familiar, personal connection. Ruggeri told ANSA that people remember the Antonelli family's auto garage, as well as Kimi's childhood journeys to school and the time he spent playing cards with his grandfather. Those memories accompany the town's pride in its new world champion. As Ruggeri put it: "Kimi is one of us."
