Meet Kimi Antonelli - Youngest to win F1 title and first Italian in 73 years

Kimi Antonelli has taken the racing world by storm by winning his first Formula 1 title at the age of 20 years and 68 days—the youngest driver to become a world champion. Racing for Mercedes, Antonelli finished third in the Mexico City Grand Prix on Sunday (Nov 1) to clinch the title. Antonelli now has an unassailable 119-point lead in the drivers' standings over second-placed Max Verstappen of Red Bull. Antonelli has 380 points with four more races to go in the season, which means Verstappen (261) can only get to a maximum of 361 points despite finishing first in all four races.

Who is Kimi Antonelli?

Antonelli was born in Bologna, Italy, on August 25, 2006. He made strides in the sport at an early age, winning several go-karting and other competitions. He was picked up by Mercedes' youth program in 2019 and subsequently rose through the ranks to make his F1 debut at the Australian Grand Prix in 2025.

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His first podium finish was in the Canadian Grand Prix in 2025, and the first time he finished first in an F1 race was in the Chinese Grand Prix in 2026.

What records did Antonelli break in his title-winning season?

Antonelli broke multiple records on his way to the F1 2026 championship title, surpassing Sebastian Vettel, who had won his title aged 23 years and 134 days back in 2010.

Antonelli is also the first Italian to win an F1 title since Alberto Ascari, who won twin titles in 1952 and 1953. Before Ascari, Giuseppe Farina had won the championship in 1950.

The 20-year-old also holds the record for the most F1 wins in a season by an Italian driver while going on to win the championship title. Antonelli finished top of the podium nine times this season—China GP, Japan GP, Miami GP, Canada GP, Monaco GP, Belgium GP, Italian GP, Spanish GP, and United States GP. The previous record was held by Ascari, who had won six races in his 1952 championship-winning campaign.