Kimi Antonelli wins F1 title at 20 after Mexico race

Kimi Antonelli became the youngest Formula 1 world champion on Sunday after finishing the Mexico City Grand Prix in third place.

The 20-year-old Mercedes driver secured the title with four races remaining on the season schedule.

He crossed the finish line behind race winner Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. Antonelli placed his hands on the steering wheel and said, “We did it, we did it.”

His voice cracked during the moment. He told reporters he was still trying to understand what had just happened.

Antonelli said the final lap was difficult because he was savoring the achievement before crossing the line. He believed he lost two seconds because he could not see the road ahead clearly.

He became the first Italian to win the title since Alberto Ascari in 1953. Sebastian Vettel held the previous record as the youngest champion at age 23 in 2010.

Antonelli had an unassailable lead in the standings over teammate George Russell and Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton. He said he fell ill during the first few days in Mexico but claimed to be in his best physical shape on race day.

The mental challenge of having the title so close was the greatest difficulty, he said. He noted that hearing repeated congratulations before the job was done helped him realize the achievement was possible.

Verstappen claimed his sixth victory at the Mexico City Grand Prix. He joked that the event could be called the “Max-ico” Grand Prix. He said he loves the city and the fans but does not know why he has won there six years in a row.

Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said the Italian nation had waited 73 years for this moment. He stated that Antonelli’s name joins the legends of the sport and that this is only the beginning of his legacy.

The race stopped on lap 46 with a red flag after Valtteri Bottas crashed into the wall at the first corner. His right-side suspension had issues. Cadillac reported that Bottas received further medical assessments as a precaution. He got out of the car unaided and waved to fans.

Verstappen led the field at the restart, followed by Charles Leclerc, Hamilton, Antonelli, Lando Norris, and Russell. Verstappen maintained his lead to take the win. Hamilton had taken pole position on Saturday but lost it on the fourth lap while battling Leclerc for the lead. He went off track briefly and dropped to third place. Stewards investigated the maneuver and gave Leclerc a five-second penalty. Hamilton said the stewards were handing the win to Leclerc. He said Leclerc should have given the position back. Leclerc said he wanted to give the position back, but Verstappen passed both of them. Hamilton said the team lost valuable points that could have resulted in a one-two finish. He said something needs to change for sure. After Mexico, F1 will head to Brazil and then to Las Vegas. It remains uncertain whether the final two scheduled Grands Prix in Qatar and Abu Dhabi will take place.