Antonelli becomes F1's youngest champion and first Italian title-winner in 73 years

Kimi Antonelli sealed the Formula 1 world championship at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City, becoming the sport’s youngest ever champion at 20 years old and the first Italian title-winner since Alberto Ascari claimed the crown 73 years ago in 1953. The Mercedes driver finished third behind race-winner Max Verstappen and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, accumulating enough points to secure the title.

Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali responded with an emotional statement, saying the achievement had been “earned through exceptional talent, courage and determination” and that “an entire nation will celebrate one of its own reaching the very pinnacle of our sport.”

“Today, Kimi Antonelli has made history,” Domenicali wrote. “It fills me with immense pride to see Kimi become the first Italian Formula 1 world champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953. For 73 years, our country has waited for this moment.”

Antonelli has won nine grands prix this season — his second year in Formula 1 — including his home race at Monza. He joined Mercedes in 2025 as the direct replacement for Hamilton, who moved to Ferrari in the same off-season.

Domenicali drew a direct line between Antonelli’s achievement and the sport’s broader appeal, arguing that the Italian’s rise would resonate far beyond the paddock. “Greatness is measured not only by records, but by the generations it inspires,” he said. “Across the world, young boys and girls watching today will see in Kimi someone who proves that the biggest dreams can become reality.”

The F1 chief closed his statement by placing Antonelli among the sport’s all-time greats. “Today, his name joins the legends of our sport. A new chapter in Formula 1 history has been written, and I firmly believe this is only the beginning of an extraordinary legacy.”

Antonelli’s title caps a remarkable rise through the Mercedes junior programme. His nine victories this season place him among the most prolific debut champions in the modern era, and at 20 he has years ahead to add to what Domenicali described as the start of “an extraordinary legacy.”