Antonelli becomes F1's youngest champion as Verstappen and Hamilton hoist him on Mexico podium

Andrea Kimi Antonelli sealed the 2026 Formula 1 world drivers’ championship at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City, becoming the youngest world champion in the sport’s history at just 20 years and 68 days old. The Mercedes driver finished third on the day behind race winner Max Verstappen and runner-up Lewis Hamilton, but the title was his — and what followed on the podium left him visibly overwhelmed.

In an unscripted act of sportsmanship, Verstappen and Hamilton hoisted the newly crowned champion onto their shoulders, a gesture Antonelli described as the most emotionally charged moment of his entire season.

“This moment on the podium is one of those memories that will live forever,” Antonelli said. “First of all, to see so much respect and appreciation from the two drivers that have made the history of the sport — and they’re still doing so because they’re still competing at the top.”

The impromptu celebration caught the 20-year-old completely off guard. “What they did, picking me up on the podium, is a moment that I will always be grateful for,” he admitted. “It was also unexpected for me, and once they picked me up, I was just so happy, and I got so emotional as well.”

By clinching the crown in Mexico, Antonelli shattered the record previously held by Sebastian Vettel for the youngest F1 world champion. He also ended a 73-year wait for Italy, becoming the first Italian driver to win the World Championship since Alberto Ascari in 1953.

For all the statistical weight of those milestones, it was the human moment atop the podium that left the deepest impression. Antonelli made clear he has no intention of letting the image fade into obscurity: “That picture, I will frame it.”

The scene captured something rare in modern Formula 1 — two rivals at the peak of their powers pausing to publicly welcome a new generation into the sport’s most exclusive club. For Antonelli, the numbers in the record books may endure for decades, but it is the memory of being lifted by Verstappen and Hamilton that he will carry longest.