Antonelli wins F1 title at 20

Kimi Antonelli became Formula One's youngest world champion on Sunday after finishing third at the Mexico City Grand Prix. The 20-year-old Italian driver secured the title with an 84-point lead over his Mercedes teammate, George Russell. Antonelli finished behind Max Verstappen of Red Bull and Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari. Hamilton lifted Antonelli onto his shoulders as celebrations began in the paddock.

Antonelli is Italy's first Formula One world champion since 1953. Peter Bonnington, Antonelli's race engineer, called the day very special. Bonnington has previously worked with Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton. He described Antonelli as a generational talent and said he felt privileged to work with him. Antonelli said sharing the podium with Verstappen and Hamilton was truly incredible. He stated that this victory marks the beginning of a new era for him.

The driver has lived with motorsports since childhood. He was barely 10 years old when he sat on his father Marco's lap to drive a competition Lamborghini. His father, a former driver and team principal, initially opposed a racing career due to the financial risks. Antonelli began karting at seven and was recruited by Mercedes at 11. He was mentored by Lewis Hamilton during his time in the junior program.

Antonelli dominated karting in 2020 and 2021. He won the Italian and German F4 championships in 2022 and the Formula Regional championship in 2023. He skipped F3 to enter F2 in 2024, where he finished sixth. He joined the F1 grid in 2024 after Hamilton moved to Ferrari. Antonelli finished his rookie season seventh in the championship, with a second place in Sao Paulo and two other podium finishes.

Toto Wolff, the Mercedes team principal, said Antonelli had tremendous talent and a great personality. Wolff noted that Antonelli needed a season in F1 to learn through both successes and setbacks. Antonelli became a popular figure in the paddock, known for his humor in press conferences. Congratulations arrived from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and tennis star Jannik Sinner, who won his own title in the same weekend.

Antonelli's path to the championship included six key races. He won his first grand prix in China on March 15 while aged 19. He won four consecutive races starting in Canada on May 24. He took pole and victory in Monaco on June 7, extending his lead over Hamilton and Russell to more than 66 points. He won the Italian Grand Prix on September 6 after starting from 19th due to an engine penalty.

He finished fifth in Azerbaijan on September 26 after a qualifying error. He finished second in Malaysia on October 4 behind Verstappen. Russell, who was running third, retired just before the finish line in Malaysia. This retirement sealed Antonelli's title with an 84-point advantage. Antonelli remains the youngest driver to hold the Formula One world championship.