Credit, Getty Images
Soon after Kimi Antonelli won his first title and became the youngest world champion in the history of Formula 1, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen were unanimous in their assessment of the 20-year-old driver's achievement.
"Amazing," they both said. Coming from the two most successful champions on the current grid, who sit first and third on the all-time list of F1 race winners, this had special significance.
The fact that Antonelli shared the Mexico City Grand Prix podium with these two titans also had special significance.
"I'm definitely going to frame the photo and put it in my house because it's just an incredible moment," Antonelli said.
"And also seeing so much respect coming from two incredible drivers, who made history in the sport, is really special and a moment that will always be remembered."
But the moment also had a symbolic meaning.
Given the scale of his achievement this year, Antonelli looks set to join them on the list of the sport's all-time greatest drivers, 1996 world champion Damon Hill said during the BBC Radio 5 Live broadcast.
"I don't see any other possibility other than him continuing to improve more and more. He will also have to go through difficult times, but no one will doubt his incredible talent."
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Nobody, in fact. At least not anymore.
Kimi Antonelli became the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history, winning his first title at the age of 20 years and 68 days.
Before him, the record belonged to Sebastian Vettel, who was 23 years and 133 days old when he won the championship for the first time, in 2010. Lewis Hamilton appears in third place, with 23 years and 300 days, followed by Fernando Alonso, who was 24 years and 57 days old in 2005, and Max Verstappen, champion at 24 years and 73 days old, in 2021.
Antonelli's first title comes at the end of just his second season in F1. When he was hired by Mercedes last year — to replace Hamilton, no less — there were those who said he was too inexperienced.
For part of last year, he seemed to be. There were promising moments, but overall it was a shaky debut season that didn't live up to the expectations surrounding Antonelli as a potential new generation talent.
Therefore, when it became clear that Mercedes would start this season with the best car, his teammate George Russell, who had beaten him handily in 2025, was the favorite for the title.
But that didn't take into account the remarkable leap in development Antonelli made over the past winter.
He finished the first race right next to Russell. He achieved his first victory on Monday, the first of five in a row, with which he took control of the championship. Since then, it never looked like he was going to lose the title.
Even when Mercedes' advantage at the start of the season was nullified by its rivals, Antonelli remained present, always in contention. The same cannot be said of Russell.
In this sense, it is important to evaluate your achievement in perspective. If the relative performance between Russell and Antonelli had continued as last year, this championship could very well have had a different configuration.
It could have been a season in which Russell and Hamilton went head-to-head for the title for most of the year — in fact, Russell now sits behind Verstappen and Hamilton in the points table.
Instead, it has been the story of a single driver's dominance. Their performances were so strong that they practically eliminated any uncertainty in the title race.
In his debut season in Formula 1, in 2025, Kimi Antonelli scored an average of 6.25 points per race. In 2026, the driver's performance took a significant leap: after 19 stages of the season, the average reached 20 points per race.
That didn't make this the most exciting season to watch, but it says a lot about the level at which Antonelli competed. All thanks to the progress he's made — and his remarkable consistency.
From karting to Formula 1
Kimi Antonelli was born in August 2006, in Bologna, Italy. Son of Marco Antonelli, former driver and owner of a motorsport team, he grew up around tracks and engines.
Antonelli started competing in karting at the age of five and, at 11, he was already attracting the attention of important names in motorsport. At this age, he was observed by Gwen Lagrue, responsible for talent scouting at the Mercedes driver academy, and became part of the team's program.
Before arriving in Formula 1, he won titles in Formula 4 in 2022, and in the European Regional Formula in 2023.
Credit, Marco Antonelli
"For someone his age," said Verstappen, "to be so solid, not make any big mistakes and of course still beat an experienced teammate, is just incredible. He drove exceptionally and I'm very proud of him, of how he has behaved throughout this season."
Lando Norris, the current world champion who is about to step down, was also effusive in his praise.
"It couldn't have happened to a better person," he said. "He's a genuine person, very, very kind, and he's driven unbelievably this year, better than anyone expected of him," he continued.
Norris recalled that Antonelli did not have an easy season, considering the competition was extremely strong, but said he faced the best drivers in the world, all in very good cars, and impressed everyone.
"I hope everyone gives him credit for what he accomplished this year. He made everyone else look foolish. He drove so well and got to grips with his car; he worked hard to understand how to drive this car and got more out of it than anyone else."
"So he should be very proud. He made history, and I'm very, very happy for him."
For Antonelli, last year's difficulties were formative and fundamental to what he managed to achieve this season.
"The fact that some people said I didn't belong in F1," he said, "or that I wasn't ready for it — which, at one point last year, probably seemed to be true — having gone through those moments has made me much more prepared for this year."
"Going through really difficult situations and great adversity, through moments of a lot of pressure, helped me a lot to face certain situations this year and, without a doubt, made me mature a lot as a driver and as a person", continued the young driver."
"Even this year, I had moments where I could have done better, much better. So, it's simply a constant learning process. Last year, being able to race directly for Mercedes, obviously already in the spotlight, made me grow much faster than if I had gone to a smaller team, for example."
The pressure of being champion
One of those moments happened this weekend.
After qualifying, he admitted that he was "tense" and was not driving as well as he could, a result of the pressure of that moment.
"In Austin, I was much more aggressive, much more present in the moment," said Antonelli, "whereas in Mexico yesterday, in qualifying, I was a little more tense, in a way, because I wasn't as intense in the way I was driving either."
"So, without a doubt, it wasn't easy in that aspect. But now we've finally won the title and we can just enjoy the rest of the season."
The power of that moment was evident after the race.
Antonelli admitted he was so emotional on the final lap, as he followed Verstappen and Hamilton to the finish line, that he was having trouble seeing.
"I probably lost two seconds because I was already basically crying and couldn't see straight ahead," he said. "Somehow I could see two Ferraris through the tears.
"It was very special, and a lot of memories went through my head at that moment."
So, his father, Marco, and his mother, Veronica, who were so important in his journey to F1, were there to welcome him at the end.
Marco was practically present at every stage of this season, offering discreet support to his son whenever necessary.
"Having my father with me throughout the season was very important," said Antonelli, "because, firstly, he was the one who kept me grounded, especially after moments of great euphoria. But he was also the one who was always there when I faced a difficult situation or didn't feel at my best before a session."
Later, during the champions' press conference, he became so emotional at one point, remembering his late grandfather, that he couldn't speak and needed a minute to compose himself.
"My God," he said, after composing himself. "I cried a lot today. But it's okay."
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