Kimi Antonelli Becomes the Youngest World Champion in F1 History as Verstappen Wins in Mexico

The 2026 Formula 1 season reached a historic milestone at the Mexico City Grand Prix. Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli secured his maiden world championship by finishing third, becoming the youngest Formula 1 world champion ever at the age of 20 years and 68 days. Max Verstappen claimed victory for Red Bull, while Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton finished second.

Antonelli's title celebration came amid a fiercely contested race and growing tensions inside the Ferrari garage. A dramatic opening lap, a red-flag interruption and an intense final sprint made for a memorable afternoon in Mexico City. Yet the biggest story of the day was undoubtedly Antonelli's achievement, as he secured the championship from the third step of the podium.

Antonelli Delivers a Calm Drive Under Pressure

Antonelli arrived in Mexico with a commanding championship advantage and knew that his main objective was to avoid unnecessary risks and bring the car home. A ninth-place finish would have been enough to secure the title, with the exact requirements depending on the results of his closest rivals.

The Mercedes driver ran fourth during the opening stint, following Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. As the drivers ahead made their pit stops, Antonelli briefly moved into the lead before coming in for fresh tyres as part of Mercedes' planned strategy.

The timing of his stop proved valuable later in the race. On lap 45, Valtteri Bottas suffered a front suspension failure on his Cadillac under braking for Turn One. The Finnish driver lost control and crashed into the barriers, prompting the deployment of the safety car.

When it became clear that repairing the barriers would take considerable time, race control stopped the race with a red flag. The interruption set up a 25-lap sprint to the finish once the action resumed.

At the restart, Verstappen and Hamilton battled for the lead, while Leclerc lost ground. Antonelli took advantage of the situation and passed the Ferrari driver at the beginning of the following lap to move into third place.

The race was interrupted once again with 12 laps remaining after a collision between Racing Bulls driver Arvid Lindblad and McLaren's Oscar Piastri. Lindblad crashed, bringing out another safety car. The field eventually returned to racing with just seven laps left.

Verstappen, Hamilton and Antonelli ran close together during the closing stages, but none of the three found a clear opportunity to make a move. They crossed the finish line almost nose to tail, with less than two seconds separating the trio. Antonelli held on to third place, sealing his first world championship.

The Youngest World Champion in Formula 1 History

At 20 years and 68 days old, Antonelli broke Sebastian Vettel's record as the youngest Formula 1 world champion by three years and 66 days. His achievement places him at the top of a record that had stood as one of the sport's most notable milestones.

The Italian also became the first driver from his country to win the Formula 1 world championship since Alberto Ascari achieved the feat in 1953. His success therefore marks a significant moment in Italian motorsport history.

The emotional impact of the achievement was clear over the team radio. During the slowing-down lap, Antonelli struggled to find the words as Mercedes informed him that he was world champion. His reaction was a mixture of tears, laughter and disbelief.

After composing himself, the young driver managed to respond: "Thank you so much. We did it. We did it."

Ferrari Tensions Rise Between Hamilton and Leclerc

While Antonelli celebrated his historic achievement, the situation inside Ferrari became increasingly tense. An incident involving Hamilton and Charles Leclerc on the opening lap threatened to overshadow the team's race.

Hamilton started from pole position, with Leclerc third behind George Russell. As Russell dropped back, Leclerc challenged his teammate through Turns One, Two and Three. Hamilton managed to defend his position, but Leclerc continued his attack around the outside of the Turn Four/Five chicane.

The Ferrari driver went onto the grass, cut the corner and emerged in the lead. Hamilton had also run off the track while defending, although his excursion was considerably less extensive than Leclerc's. The confusion allowed Verstappen to pass Hamilton into Turn Six and take second place.

Both Verstappen and Hamilton complained over the team radio that Leclerc should give the position back. However, Leclerc remained in the lead and was subsequently handed a five-second penalty.

The stewards opted for a five-second sanction rather than the standard 10-second penalty, taking into account that Hamilton had also gone off track and that neither driver had been in a position to make the corner properly.

From Hamilton's perspective, the incident cost Ferrari a potential victory. He could argue that a more coordinated approach between the two drivers on the opening lap might have allowed the team to secure a one-two finish. Given how difficult overtaking proved to be, Ferrari may then have been able to maintain those positions until the end.

Leclerc also faced difficulties after the red-flag restart. A heavy lock-up damaged the consistency of one of his tyres, leaving him concerned about a developing flat spot. McLaren's Lando Norris applied considerable pressure, but Leclerc managed to stay ahead of the 2025 world champion.

Verstappen Takes Victory as Hamilton Finishes Second

Verstappen emerged as the winner in Mexico after keeping Hamilton behind him during the closing stages. The Red Bull driver handled the restarts and interruptions effectively, maintaining his advantage to take another Grand Prix victory.

Hamilton finished second, while Antonelli secured third place and, more importantly, the world championship. Leclerc also managed to finish ahead of Norris after a difficult race that included a time penalty and tyre concerns.

George Russell came home in sixth place. The Mercedes driver had received a 10-second penalty for making contact with Red Bull's Isack Hadjar and spinning him during the opening lap. Oscar Piastri finished seventh after his car sustained damage in the incident involving Lindblad.

Verstappen's victory, the growing friction between Ferrari's drivers and the dramatic closing laps will all be part of the conversation after the Mexico City Grand Prix. Nevertheless, the defining moment of the 2026 race will be Antonelli making history as the youngest Formula 1 world champion ever.