Kimi Antonelli secured his first Formula 1 world championship with third place at the Mexico City Grand Prix, becoming the youngest driver to win the title at 20. The Mercedes driver completed his championship campaign in just his second season in the sport, having joined the team in 2025 as Lewis Hamilton's replacement.
Antonelli took the age record from Sebastian Vettel, who was 23 years and 134 days old when he won his first championship in 2010. His success also made him Italy's third Formula 1 world champion, bringing an end to a 73-year gap since the country's previous title.
Italy had enjoyed considerable success at the start of the championship's history, winning three of the first four drivers' titles. Giuseppe 'Nino' Farina claimed the inaugural crown for Alfa Romeo in 1950. Alberto Ascari then won successive championships with Ferrari in 1952 and 1953, the last Italian titles before Antonelli's breakthrough.
The foundation for Antonelli's championship came in March at the Chinese Grand Prix, where he recorded his first Formula 1 victory. That result began a sequence of five straight wins and put him into a championship lead he would retain for the rest of the campaign. It marked a turnaround from a rookie season that had brought mixed results.
Antonelli added victories in Belgium and Spain, along with a particularly notable success at the Italian Grand Prix. Starting 19th on the grid at Monza, he fought through the field to win on home soil. The result made him the first Italian driver to win his home grand prix since Ludovico Scarfiotti in 1966.
His rise changed the balance within Mercedes over the course of the season. Teammate George Russell had begun the year as the overwhelming favorite for the championship and won the opening race in Australia. As the campaign progressed, however, Antonelli increasingly overshadowed his more experienced teammate.
The championship also extended a run of new winners at the top of Formula 1. McLaren's Lando Norris claimed his maiden title in 2025, meaning the sport has now crowned a first-time champion in two consecutive seasons.
Antonelli is the 36th driver to win the Formula 1 world championship. Among the 35 champions who preceded him, 18 finished with a single title, while 17 won the championship at least once more.
