Kimi Antonelli becomes youngest F1 world champion after Mexico City podium with Verstappen and Hamilton
On 2 November 2026, Kimi Antonelli clinched his first Formula 1 world championship at the Mexico City Grand Prix, standing on the podium alongside Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. Both Verstappen and Hamilton described the achievement as "Incredible."
Sharing a podium with the two most successful drivers on the current grid — the men who are first and third in the all-time list of F1 record-holders — carried obvious significance for Antonelli and for observers. "I will definitely frame the picture and put it in my house because it's just an incredible moment," Antonelli said, adding that the respect shown by the pair was "truly special and a moment that will live and will always be remembered." Commentating for BBC Radio 5 live, 1996 world champion Damon Hill said: "There are going to be others," and predicted Antonelli will continue to improve.
Antonelli secured his maiden world title at the end of only his second season in Formula 1 after joining Mercedes last year — a move described in the report as him being drafted into Mercedes "to replace Hamilton, no less." Critics had questioned his readiness after a debut season that the article characterises as "shaky," with moments of promise but inconsistent results.
When Mercedes began this season with the strongest car on the grid, team-mate George Russell — who "had comfortably beaten him in 2025" — was initially the favourite for the championship. Antonelli closed that gap quickly: he finished the first race on Russell's tail, then took his maiden victory in the second race, the first of five consecutive wins that put him in command of the title race. The report states that "since then, he has never looked like losing it," and that his performances effectively removed most jeopardy from the championship battle; it also notes that Russell "has now slipped behind both Verstappen and Hamilton in the points table."
Rivals and peers paid public tribute to Antonelli's season. Verstappen said: "At his age, to be so solid, not make big mistakes, and of course also beat your experienced team-mate, he's just driven incredible, and I'm very proud of him, how he has handled himself this whole season." Outgoing world champion Lando Norris added: "It couldn't have gone to a better person," and said: "He's a genuine guy, very, very kind, and he has driven unbelievably well this year, better that what everyone was expecting of him. "He's certainly not had an easy season in terms of his competition being incredibly high. He has gone up against the best drivers in the world, all in very good cars, and he's blown everyone away. "I hope everyone gives him enough credit for what he's achieved this year. He's made everyone else look silly. He's driven that well and he's been able to click with his car, he's worked hard to understand how to drive this car and he's exploited it better than anyone else. "So he should be very proud. He has achieved history and I am very, very happy for him."
Antonelli attributed much of his progress to the difficulties he faced last year, saying some observers claimed he "wasn't belonging to F1" and that those low moments accelerated his development. "Experiencing really low and difficult situations, high-pressure moments, really helped me to face certain situations this year and definitely they made me mature a lot as a driver, as a person," he said, adding: "Still this year I've had moments where I could have done better, a lot better, so it's just a constant learning process." He also reflected that joining Mercedes straightaway and being under intense scrutiny "made me grow much faster than if I would have gone to a smaller team, for example."
He acknowledged the pressure of the weekend, admitting after qualifying he had been "tense" and contrasting his approach in Austin with Mexico: "Austin, I was much more aggressive, much more present in the moment," Antonelli said, "while in Mexico, yesterday in qualifying, I was a bit more tense in a way because I also wasn't as intense in the way I was driving." He described the closing moments of the race as highly emotional, saying: "I lost probably two seconds because I was already crying basically and I couldn't see clearly ahead," and adding, "I could see two Ferraris somehow with the tears." His parents, Marco and Veronica, met him after the race; on his father's role he said: "To have my dad during the whole season was very important, because, first of all, he was the one keeping me grounded, especially after very high moments, but as well he was the one that was always there when I was facing a difficult situation or I wasn't feeling the best ahead of a session." In the champions' news conference he became so emotional remembering his late grandfather that he paused and later said: "Oh my god. I cried way too much today. But it's good."
"So definitely, it hasn't been easy on that side. But now finally, we clinched it and now we can just enjoy the rest of the season," Antonelli said, signalling his intention to take the remaining races of the year in a different mindset now the title has been secured.
