Kimi Antonelli has won the 2026 Formula 1 world championship after finishing third at the Mexican Grand Prix. The Mercedes driver arrived at the Hermanos Rodríguez circuit needing only a top-nine finish to mathematically secure the title, and completed the task with a place on the podium behind Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton.

At 20 years and 68 days, Antonelli is the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history, according to the information provided. His title also ends Italy’s wait for a drivers’ championship that dates back to Alberto Ascari’s success in 1953. Mercedes, meanwhile, returns to the top of the drivers’ standings for the first time since 2021.

The race was interrupted after Valtteri Bottas crashed when the front suspension of his Cadillac failed. The neutralisation helped create a late opportunity for Antonelli, who overtook Charles Leclerc and secured his place on the podium at the Foro Sol.

Antonelli leads the championship with 380 points, ahead of Verstappen on 261 and Hamilton on 259. Mercedes also tops the constructors’ standings with 630 points, followed by Ferrari with 504 and Red Bull with 380.

The 2026 season has marked a major step forward for the Italian driver. He produced five consecutive victories between China and Monaco, built an advantage of almost 70 points at the start of the summer and added seven pole positions. His campaign also included a victory at Monza after starting from 19th, described in the source as the biggest comeback in Formula 1 history.

His title was confirmed with four rounds still remaining, matching the margin achieved by Michael Schumacher in 2001 and 2004, Sebastian Vettel in 2011 and Max Verstappen in 2022. Antonelli’s consistency and pace have allowed him to dominate without relying on frequent high-risk battles, completing a rapid transformation from a rookie who had shown signs of uncertainty the previous season into the sport’s new champion.

Max Verstappen won the Mexican race in 2:20:28.772, with Hamilton 0.799 seconds behind and Antonelli 4.006 seconds off the lead. Charles Leclerc finished fourth, followed by Lando Norris and George Russell. Carlos Sainz was 15th, while Fernando Alonso completed only six laps before retiring with another technical problem on his Aston Martin.

Sources: El País Deportes.