Andrea Kimi Antonelli is the 2026 Formula 1 Drivers’ World Champion. The Italian Mercedes driver secured his first title on 1 November at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. The FIA confirmed his championship after he finished third in the Mexico City Grand Prix. At 20, he sets a new age record for the sport’s champions.
A podium worth a world title
Antonelli arrived with room to settle the championship: ninth place would have been enough, regardless of his challengers’ results. Starting fourth, he finished on the podium. The result turned a mathematical opportunity into a secured title and gives Mercedes this season’s drivers’ champion.
A race that demanded patience
The run to the chequered flag was interrupted. Valtteri Bottas’s accident brought out a red flag, while Arvid Lindblad’s later retirement prompted another Safety Car intervention. Antonelli kept himself in the position he needed through a race shaped by stoppages and restarts.
Verstappen wins; Antonelli takes the crown
Max Verstappen won the Grand Prix, ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Antonelli. These were two different achievements on the same afternoon: the Dutchman won the race, while the Italian secured the championship. That distinction explains why the third step of the podium became the focus of the title celebrations.
A new name in the history books
The title begins a new chapter in Antonelli’s career. His first championship is now linked to Mercedes and to Mexico, where it was confirmed. The historic milestone is his age; the sporting result that sealed it was third place. Formula 1 has a new name on its roll of champions.