Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes confirmed the 2026 Formula 1 drivers' title by finishing third at the Mexico Grand Prix on Sunday, 1 November. It is the first championship of his career and places him among the sport's title winners.
At 20 years and 68 days, Antonelli became the youngest champion in Formula 1 history. The title also ended a 73-year wait for an Italian drivers' champion. The last Italian to win the championship was Alberto Ascari with Ferrari in 1953, and Antonelli is only the third Italian in history to take the title.
Antonelli was born on 25 August 2006. He took Lewis Hamilton's seat at Mercedes in 2025 and quickly became one of the standout drivers on the grid. In 2026, at 20, he led the championship consistently and collected notable wins, including a historic victory at the Italian Grand Prix.
His title broke Sebastian Vettel's record as the youngest Formula 1 champion by a margin of more than three years. Vettel had already commented on the prospect of losing the record, saying he would be happy for the young Italian and that records exist to be broken, adding that Formula 1 needs constant renewal of talent to maintain a high level of competition.
Sources: CNN Brasil.