Antonelli crowned youngest F1 world champion ever, crying through the final lap in Mexico City

Kimi Antonelli is Formula 1’s youngest world champion of all time after clinching the 2026 drivers’ title at the Mexico City Grand Prix, finishing third behind race winner Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton in a podium finish he immediately wanted to frame on his wall.

The young Italian had effectively known since his performance in Austin that the title was his to lose, but he refused to treat Mexico as a formality. Nerves, he admitted, hit harder this weekend than at any point in the season.

“At Austin, I was much more aggressive, much more present in the moment, while in qualifying here in Mexico I was a bit more tense in a way,” Antonelli said. “It definitely hasn’t been easy on that side. But now finally we clinched it, and now we can enjoy the rest of the season.”

The race itself was far from straightforward. A red flag reset the field mid-race and, by Antonelli’s own account, forced a mental reset too. He had been cautious in the opening stint, but the interruption prompted him to throw caution aside — most visibly in a decisive overtaking move on Charles Leclerc that put him on the podium.

“In that moment I was like, ‘You know what? I’m just going to take more risks,’” he said. “That move on Charles was crucial to get on the podium. Then I tried to stay close until the end, and that last stint was very fun. The three of us were within two seconds and we were all pushing.”

Antonelli finished four seconds behind Verstappen at the flag, and the gap had a deeply personal explanation. On the final lap, emotion overwhelmed him entirely.

“I just backed off because I just couldn’t see the track anymore. I was getting emotional, and I said, ‘I’m just going to back off because otherwise I’ll crash here,’” the new champion said. “I was already crying. I couldn’t see clearly ahead. I could see two Ferraris somehow with the tears, so it was very special.”

Sharing the podium with Hamilton and Verstappen — two of the sport’s most decorated champions — was not lost on Antonelli, who said he wants a photograph of the moment to keep as a tangible memory of the day he made history.

Because of the sport’s superlicence age restrictions, which limit how young a driver can enter Formula 1, Antonelli’s record as the youngest world champion is considered exceptionally difficult to break. The milestone stands as one of the most significant in the sport’s modern era.