Isophoric News · Tuesday, November 3, 2026
Kimi Antonelli, 20, becomes Formula 1's youngest world champion
Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes clinched the 2026 Formula 1 drivers' championship by finishing third at the Mexico City Grand Prix on Sunday, becoming the youngest world champion in the sport's history at 20, according to Formula 1's race result and reporting by the Guardian and Defector. Max Verstappen of Red Bull won the race and Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari was second, Formula 1's result shows. Antonelli is Italy's first world champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953, the Guardian reported. Defector reported that Antonelli takes the youngest champion record from Sebastian Vettel, and that he passed Charles Leclerc for third after a red flag and restart. He clinched with a 130-point lead over teammate George Russell and 119 points over Verstappen, who is second in the standings, according to Defector. The Guardian reported that he won five consecutive races early in the season and won his home race at Monza after starting 19th.
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Mexico City Grand Prix, top six
| Position | Driver | Team | Time or gap | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 2:20:28.772 | 25 |
| 2 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +0.799s | 18 |
| 3 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +4.006s | 15 |
| 4 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +10.707s | 12 |
| 5 | Lando Norris | McLaren | +11.778s | 10 |
| 6 | George Russell | Mercedes | +12.263s | 8 |