Antonelli becomes youngest champion with third place in Mexico City
Kimi Antonelli clinched the 2026 drivers' title at the Mexico City Grand Prix by finishing third. At 20, the Mercedes driver is the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history, 119 points clear of Max Verstappen, who won the race.
A title sealed on the podium
Kimi Antonelli did not need to win in Mexico City, and he did not. He needed only a ninth-place finish to be certain of the 2026 drivers' championship, according to the FIA. In the end he took third, 4.006 s behind race winner Max Verstappen and one place behind Lewis Hamilton, and with that became the youngest world champion the sport has seen. He is 20 years old and the title comes in only his second Formula 1 season,.
The Mercedes driver gained his podium place on the restart after the red flag. He passed Charles Leclerc, whose tyres had been damaged by a big lock-up, and held the position to the flag. Ferrari's own battle for the lead, between Hamilton and Leclerc, gave him room to settle into a safe result.
The race behind the title
The Mexico City Grand Prix was anything but calm. A suspension failure sent Valtteri Bottas's Cadillac into the barriers at Turn 1 on lap 45 of 71, and the race was stopped for repairs. A second safety car followed after Arvid Lindblad hit the wall. Verstappen kept his Red Bull in front through both restarts, holding off Hamilton by 0.799 s for his third win of the season.
Leclerc finished fourth, Lando Norris fifth and Antonelli's team-mate George Russell sixth on the road. Several of the lower positions changed in post-race penalty decisions, but none of them affected the championship outcome.
By the numbers
The season data on this site shows how one-sided the year has been. After Mexico City, Antonelli has 380 points to Verstappen's 261, a margin of 119. Hamilton is on 259, Russell on 250 and Leclerc on 245. Antonelli has won 9 of the 19 races run so far and stood on the podium 16 times, more than any other driver. Verstappen has three wins, Hamilton one.
Mercedes lead the constructors' standings with 630 points, 126 ahead of Ferrari on 504, according to RacingNews365's adjusted tables.
What comes next
Six rounds remain, starting with the São Paulo Grand Prix on 8 November. With the title decided, the remaining fight in the drivers' standings is for second place, where Verstappen holds a two-point lead over Hamilton.
