Antonelli’s 2026 title would rank among the fastest first F1 championships

Kimi Antonelli needs only two points from the remaining races to secure the 2026 Formula 1 world championship. A ninth-place finish would be enough, while his mathematical rivals, George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, would effectively need to win the rest of the season to keep their chances alive.

If Antonelli completes the job at the Mexican Grand Prix, he will become the 36th F1 world champion and the sport’s youngest-ever title winner. Unlike most first-time champions, however, he is not heading into a decisive final-round showdown. Twenty of the previous 35 drivers to win their first title did so in a final-race decider.

Antonelli is expected to clinch the championship after 19 rounds, with 82.6% of the season completed. That would make his title the fifth-fastest first championship among F1’s first-time winners, a ranking that would remain unchanged even if the season ultimately consists of 22 rounds.

Only four drivers won their first titles earlier by that measure. Nigel Mansell secured his 1992 championship with 68.8% of the season completed, followed by Jim Clark in 1963 at 70% and Jackie Stewart in 1969 at 72.5%. Alberto Ascari won the 1952 title after 75% of the season, although that championship was contested with Formula 2 machinery.

Antonelli would also become just the third driver in the past 30 years to seal a maiden title before the final round. The other two are Fernando Alonso, who won in 2005 with 89.5% of the season completed, and Jenson Button, whose 2009 championship was secured with 94.1% of the campaign gone.

The 2026 title would stand out not only because of its timing but also because of the margin. Some of the other 16 first-time championships decided before the final race involved close battles that lasted deep into the season. Alain Prost’s 1985 title, for example, was secured with two races remaining, but Ferrari’s Michele Alboreto had remained a serious challenger before failing to score in the final five rounds. Alan Jones in 1980, Button, Ayrton Senna in 1988 and Alonso also won after genuine title fights.

Mercedes’ strength has contributed to the shape of this season, but Russell’s performances in the team’s second car suggest that the campaign could have looked very different without Antonelli’s level of performance.

Sources: The Race.