Formula 1 has a new king, and he’s only 20. Kimi Antonelli has become the youngest World Champion in the sport’s history, sealing the 2026 drivers’ title with a third-place finish at the Mexico City Grand Prix on Sunday.
The Mercedes driver crossed the line behind race winner Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, and that was all he needed to wrap up his first world championship. At 20 years and 68 days old, he breaks the record held by Sebastian Vettel, who was 23 years and 134 days old when he won his first title in 2010.
It’s a fitting end to a season that has seen the Italian rewrite the record books. Earlier this year, Antonelli became the youngest driver ever to lead the world championship after winning the Japanese Grand Prix at 19. He has also become the youngest pole sitter and the youngest driver to reach five race wins.
Antonelli’s rise has been rapid. He joined the Mercedes Junior Programme in April 2019, aged just 12, and his journey from the junior ranks to the top of the sport has taken only a few years. The title confirms that the faith Mercedes placed in him was well founded.
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For a sport that has long celebrated its youngest stars, this one stands apart. Vettel’s record stood for 16 years, and it has now been broken by a driver who was only a teenager for most of this season.
With the championship won, Antonelli has secured his place in the history books and set a new benchmark for the next generation of drivers. Whether anyone can beat his record remains to be seen.
