MEXICO CITY, MEXICO.– Formula 1 has a new world champion, and his achievement has already secured him a place in motorsport history. Andrea Kimi Antonelli clinched the 2026 Drivers' Championship after finishing third at the Mexico City Grand Prix, becoming the youngest world champion in the history of the sport at just 20 years and 68 days old.

The Mercedes driver arrived in Mexico with a significant championship advantage. He needed only a ninth-place finish to secure the title, regardless of the results achieved by his closest challengers, Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes teammate George Russell. Antonelli, however, delivered an even stronger result, starting fourth and securing a podium finish in a dramatic 71-lap race interrupted by accidents and a red flag.

Max Verstappen claimed victory for Red Bull, securing his third win of the season after holding off sustained pressure from Lewis Hamilton, who finished second for Ferrari, just 0.799 seconds behind. Antonelli crossed the finish line in third place, enough to confirm his first Formula 1 world title.

His achievement also carries historic significance for Italy. The country has waited 73 years for another Formula 1 Drivers' World Champion, since Alberto Ascari's triumph in 1953. Antonelli also surpassed Sebastian Vettel's record as the youngest world champion, previously set when the German won his first title in 2010 at the age of 23.

The championship comes in Antonelli's second season in Formula 1, following a rapid rise through the junior racing categories. Mercedes placed its confidence in the young Italian by promoting him to the sport's top level, and that decision has now produced one of the most remarkable achievements in the team's recent history.

At just 20, Antonelli has become the face of a new generation in Formula 1. His title-winning performance in Mexico marks the beginning of what could become a defining chapter in his career and a historic moment for Italian motorsport.