Antonelli shatters age record to claim F1 crown at 20

Kimi Antonelli is 20 years old, making him the youngest person ever to hold the Formula 1 world championship title. He secured the honor with a third-place finish at the Mexico City Grand Prix on October 25.

The result ended a tense final day and cemented a title he had effectively locked in earlier in the season. Antonelli achieved this feat during his second year in the top tier of motorsport. He joined Mercedes in 2025, taking over the seat vacated by Lewis Hamilton.

His age advantage is substantial. Sebastian Vettel held the previous record, winning his first championship in 2010 at 23 years and 134 days. Antonelli beat that benchmark by three years and nearly four months.

The victory also broke a 73-year drought for Italy. The country has produced three world champions, with Antonelli becoming the first since Alberto Ascari. Farina won the inaugural title in 1950, and Ascari claimed back-to-back crowns for Ferrari in 1952 and 1953.

Antonelli's season began with a win at the Chinese Grand Prix in March. He followed that with five consecutive victories, including wins in Belgium and Spain. He also delivered a dominant performance at the Italian Grand Prix, moving from 19th on the starting grid to first place. That drive made him the first Italian to win at Monza since Ludovico Scarfiotti in 1966.

His teammate, George Russell, started the season as the favorite and won the opener in Australia. However, Antonelli took control of the championship lead and never lost it. Max Verstappen won the race in Mexico City for Red Bull, but the result did not alter the final standings.

Antonelli is the 36th unique driver to win the world title. Of the 35 champions before him, 18 won the race exactly once, while 17 won additional titles. His achievement marks the second consecutive season where a rookie has claimed the championship, following Lando Norris at McLaren in 2025.