Italian Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli clinched the 2026 Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship at the Mexican Grand Prix in Mexico City, securing his title with a third‑place finish in only his second season, according to Anadolu Agency. The 20‑year‑old surged past a field that included reigning champion Max Verstappen and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton to finish second‑behind Verstappen and third‑behind Hamilton, creating a points gap that ensured him the title even before the race ended.
Antonelli entered the race with a commanding advantage, needing only a ninth‑place finish or better to lock the championship regardless of his rivals’ results, as noted by both Anadolu Agency and TASS. Starting fourth on the grid, he fought a chaotic opening lap and briefly led the race during early pit stops, before re‑joining in fourth when a crash by Valtteri Bottas triggered a safety car and subsequent red flag.
After the race restarted on lap 47, Hamilton overtook Charles Leclerc, while Antonelli held off Lando Norris. On lap 48, the Mercedes driver overtook Leclerc at Turn 1 for third place, then maintained that spot through another safety‑car episode caused by Arvid Lindblad’s crash on lap 59. Verstappen and Hamilton continued battling ahead, but Antonelli’s steady pace secured him the 71‑lap finish in third.
Antonelli broke Sebastian Vettel’s record as the youngest Formula 1 champion, becoming the first Italian world champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953. “We did it! And I wouldn’t be here without Mercedes and without my family. I’m speechless, I’m trying to process what’s just happened,” Antonelli said after the race, as quoted by Anadolu Agency.
While reports from online groups and local newspapers highlighted that Antonelli needed only a ninth‑place finish to secure the title before the race, those posts are not publicly viewable and remain unverified. A Facebook post mentioning Antonelli’s potential record was inaccessible, and the Midland Daily News article echoed the need for a ninth‑place finish but could not confirm the details of the race itself.
