Antonelli Is F1's Youngest Champion at 20

Formula One has a new world champion, and he is the youngest the sport has crowned. Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes clinched the drivers' title at the Mexican Grand Prix with four races still to run.

A record at 20

Antonelli is 20. The previous youngest champion was Sebastian Vettel, who was 23 when he won in 2010. Antonelli was four years old then.

He is also the first Italian champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953, and the sport's 36th world champion. The title is the first for Mercedes since Lewis Hamilton won in 2020, and the team's 10th.

He needed ninth place or better in Mexico City. He qualified fourth and finished third.

How the season was won

Antonelli took the lead in the standings after the third round, in Japan, and kept it. Five of the first six races went to him, as the Mercedes proved the class of the field under the new regulations. Teammate George Russell, the pre-season favourite, was outraced.

In all, he won nine times. Twice he scored no points, both times because of mechanical failures. One of his wins came from 19th on the grid at Monza, his home race.

Russell and Hamilton were his nearest contenders, but neither narrowed the gap by much. Both needed a win in Mexico to stay in the fight, but even with that, Antonelli's third place would have been enough.

Mercedes brought him into their young driver programme at 12 and promoted him to replace Hamilton. His first season in the seat was a difficult one for the rookie.

Drama behind the champion

Red Bull's Max Verstappen won the race from fifth on the grid. Hamilton's Ferrari was second and Charles Leclerc was fourth.

Leclerc launched well and went for the lead at turn four, trying to get past Hamilton. He cut the corner to do it and did not give the place back. The stewards decided he had gained an advantage and gave him a five-second penalty, to be served at his pit stop.

Hamilton was unhappy. "The stewards are basically handing Charles this win," he said. When the race was stopped, he added: "We've got big problems. Big, big problems."

The red flag came after Valtteri Bottas crashed out heavily at turn one. After the restart, Hamilton moved up to second and Antonelli into third.

Our view

With the title settled, the Ferrari row between Hamilton and Leclerc is the open storyline. Whether the team addresses it publicly may show how deep the rift goes. For Mercedes, the open question is how much of this form carries into 2027.

Source: The Guardian