Kimi Antonelli has won the 2026 F1 Drivers’ Championship at 20 years and 68 days old, breaking Sebastian Vettel’s record for youngest world champion by three years; Max Verstappen won a wild Mexico City Grand Prix from Lewis Hamilton amid drama between the Ferrari drivers Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Kimi Antonelli became the youngest Formula 1 world champion in history as Max Verstappen held off Lewis Hamilton to win a thrilling Mexico City Grand Prix. Antonelli finished third to secure the F1 Drivers’ Championship with four rounds to spare, becoming the first Italian world champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953. The 20-year-old avoided all the chaos in one of the most action-packed races of the season and was hugely emotional after the chequered flag. “We did it, we did it.
I wouldn’t be here without Mercedes, without my family, so I’m very grateful for this moment and it’s one that will live forever,” said Antonelli. “I’m speechless. I’m trying to process what has just happened.” Meanwhile, Verstappen took advantage of a big fight between the Ferraris of Hamilton and Charles Leclerc on the opening lap to claim his third win in four races. Pole-sitter Hamilton went side by side with Leclerc through the tight Turns 1 and 2 before Leclerc attacked again into Turn 4 around the outside.
Both drivers went off the track but Leclerc went across the grass to take the lead, allowing Verstappen to capitalise by overtaking Hamilton. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Leclerc was handed a five-second time penalty but a furious Hamilton said “the stewards are basically handling Charles this win” on the radio. Verstappen crucially stayed within five seconds of Leclerc before the only round of pit stops to take the lead as they pitted together, but appeared to have an inferior car compared to the Ferraris, and was on aging soft tyres. However, the race was stopped when Cadillac’s Valtteri Bottas suffered a huge crash into the barriers as his suspension failed, leaving a standing-start restart with everyone on fresh tyres with 26 laps remaining.
Leclerc got a poor launch from second so Hamilton attacked Verstappen into Turn 1, with the pair making contact as the Red Bull driver came out on top in the exchange. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Even with a Safety Car for Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad crashing after tangling with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, Verstappen did just enough to keep Hamilton at bay with Antonelli, fittingly, just behind the two F1 legends in third. Leclerc battled his way to fourth with flat-spotted front tyres from a lock up on the restart, while McLaren’s Lando Norris finished fifth and Mercedes’ George Russell sixth. Russell had earlier served a 10-second time penalty for colliding with Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar on the opening lap, which dropped him out of the podium fight.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Piastri had crossed the line in seventh but was given a 10-second time penalty for his collision with Lindblad, so dropped to 15th. That promoted Alpine’s Franco Colapinto to seventh, ahead of Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson, the other Alpine of Pierre Gasly, and Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto in 10th. Britain’s Oliver Bearman was in contention for points until Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg ran into the back of him on the restart while his Haas team-mate and F1 debutant Ryo Hirakawa, who replaced Esteban Ocon from Saturday, was 13th. 1) Max Verstappen, Red Bull2) Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari3) Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes4) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari5) Lando Norris, McLaren6) George Russell, Mercedes7) Franco Colapinto, Alpine8) Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls9) Pierre Gasly, Alpine10) Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi After a difficult rookie campaign, Antonelli has become just the fourth driver to become world champion in their second Formula 1 season, after Juan Manuel Fangio (1951), Jacques Villeneuve (1997) and Lewis Hamilton (2008). He has exceeded expectations by winning nine races so far in 2026 and finished just two races outside of the podium places when he has seen the chequered flag.
“[People asked] why do you put this kid in the car? Oh, it’s Kimi Antonelli. THIS is Kimi Antonelli!” Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff told Sky Sports F1. “Incredible.
Also today, complete serene. That’s what makes him so different.” Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Mexico City race-winner Max Verstappen was unable to challenge Antonelli for the championship this year but says he’s “very proud” of the Mercedes driver. “To do that also at such an age is really, really impressive. It’s amazing to see the whole team celebrating with him, his family is here as well,” he said.
“I’m sure this is a very emotional day for him.” Sky Sports F1’s Nico Rosberg:”We are all race car drivers, we know at what level he performed all season. It’s something we have perhaps never seen in the sport. We have never seen it at the age of 20.”It feels like there are going to be many more world championships there. I don’t know how far he’s going to get!” Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Antonelli was lifted up by Verstappen and Hamilton on the podium in front of a sold-out crowd at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez and says his first world title is “just the beginning”.
“It’s a day I will remember forever. Thank you so much to my team, my family, my friends and all you guys that support me and the sport. I’m just so grateful and thank you so much,” said Antonelli. “It’s starting to get real and I’m going to enjoy every bit.” The race itself was dramatic from start to finish as Verstappen pounced on an intra-team fight between between Hamilton and Leclerc, which will leave Ferrari with plenty to discuss ahead of next weekend’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
Ferrari appeared to have the fastest car in Mexico but failed to win the race, largely due to the opening lap squabble between their drivers. The FIA had warned drivers about corner cutting at Turns 1 and 4, so Hamilton was furious when Leclerc cut Turn 4 to take the lead and only received a five-second time penalty. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player “In the drivers’ briefing, we discussed as soon as you go off in Turn 1 [and Turn 4], you have to give the position back,” said Hamilton. “Last year I got a 10-second penalty for that same move that he did.
But ultimately, it was that that lost us the win today. I think we have to have some serious talks behind the scenes, for sure.” Sky Sports F1’s Karun Chandhok on commentary at the time of the incident:”It feels like the second weekend in a row when Ferrari had the fastest car and are not going to win the race.”By not playing the team game properly and not creating a strict structure around the two drivers, they’re again not going to win a Grand Prix.” The stewards explained the usual penalty is 10 seconds but there were mitigating circumstances as Hamilton also went off track. Given overtaking was extremely difficult, Verstappen found himself in second after the first lap thanks to his storming start and Red Bull smartly pitted him on the same lap as Leclerc on Lap 28. But, Verstappen was now on softs compared to the other front-runners on mediums so needed a tyre masterclass to win the race.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player He never came under threat from Leclerc and was arguably helped by the red flag for Bottas’ big crash, although Red Bull have struggled with their starts this year. Nevertheless, Verstappen got a good enough launch to hold the inside into Turn 1 and aggressively fended off Hamilton, who got a great restart from third on the grid. That proved to be the final crucial moment as Hamilton was unable to get close to Verstappen to make a serious overtake attempt, even on the Safety Car restart following Lindblad’s accident. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player “The first start already made the race for me.
I just had a very good first lap, let’s say like that. After that we had a bit of a different strategy,” said Verstappen. “I do think we lacked a little bit of pace, but we just hung in there and made the right calls at the right time. “Of course, the penalty for Charles then put us in the lead, then you could see they were always staying with me.
It was tough. I was sweating at the end to try and keep Lewis behind.” Formula 1 next heads to Brazil for the final leg of the triple header with the Sao Paulo Grand Prix this weekend, live on Sky Sports F1.
