Kimi Antonelli clinched his maiden Formula 1 World Championship at the Mexico City Grand Prix, becoming the youngest driver to win the title. The Mercedes racer completed a remarkable 2026 season that included early victories, difficult weekends and a comeback from a mechanical retirement.
Antonelli opened the campaign in Australia with a crash in practice, but recovered to qualify second and finish the race in the same position as Mercedes secured a one-two with George Russell. A week later in China, he claimed his first pole position, becoming the youngest-ever polesitter, and converted it into his maiden Grand Prix win.
He followed that with another pole and victory in Japan, becoming the youngest driver to lead the championship at 19 years, seven months and four days. A third consecutive pole-to-win conversion in Miami made him the first driver to turn his first three poles into victories.
The season’s early momentum was interrupted in Barcelona, where a mechanical problem ended his race while he was running second. Russell won in Austria, and Antonelli’s advantage narrowed further after a difficult British Grand Prix, where a wheel-shield failure and a track-limits penalty left him 16th. He responded in Belgium with his sixth pole of the season and a commanding win, extending his championship lead to 45 points.
Antonelli continued to build his advantage through the middle of the year, including a podium in Hungary and second place in the Netherlands. At his home race in Italy, he started 19th after an engine-related penalty and fought through the field to take a memorable victory. He then won in Spain, taking the lead after an early Virtual Safety Car worked against Lando Norris.
A challenging weekend in Azerbaijan saw Antonelli crash in qualifying and finish fifth, while Russell took victory. But at the following round, the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, Russell retired with an engine failure as Antonelli finished second. The result gave the Italian another major boost in the title fight.
By the United States Grand Prix, Antonelli held a 102-point lead over Russell. He won at the Circuit of The Americas, but the results of his closest rivals meant the championship was not yet decided. In Mexico City, he needed only a ninth-place finish to secure the title. Starting fourth, Antonelli delivered a composed drive and took third place from Charles Leclerc, sealing the championship and his place in Formula 1 history.
Sources: Formula 1.