Antonelli wins F1 title at 20 after 3rd-place finish in Mexico City
What's new: The Mercedes driver clinched the championship with four races left and became the first Italian title winner since 1953.
Kimi Antonelli secured the 2026 Formula 1 drivers' championship on Sunday by finishing third at the Mexico City Grand Prix, becoming the youngest world champion in the sport's history at 20 years and 68 days. Max Verstappen won the race for Red Bull, holding off Lewis Hamilton, while Antonelli stayed out of trouble in a chaotic event to lock up the title with four rounds still remaining. The result also made Antonelli the first Italian driver to win the F1 championship since Alberto Ascari in 1953. Antonelli, in only his second season in Formula 1, drove for Mercedes and sealed the crown after a race that included penalties, contact at the restart and a heavy crash for Valtteri Bottas.