Kimi Antonelli becomes F1’s youngest world champion after dominant Mercedes season

The Italian’s third-place finish in Mexico followed his lights-to-flag win in Austin the previous week. In Mexico City, Antonelli gained positions at the start while Russell fell back and was handed a 10-second penalty after spinning Isack Hadjar.

Antonelli’s title makes him the youngest champion in Formula 1’s 76-year history, surpassing the previous benchmark set by Sebastian Vettel, who was 23 when he won his first championship. Antonelli was born on the same day Vettel made his F1 race weekend debut in Turkey in August 2006.

He is also described as Italy’s first Formula 1 world champion in 73 years, since Alberto Ascari’s title-winning success for Ferrari in 1963. Antonelli’s rise has put him alongside multiple Grand Slam tennis champion Jannik Sinner among the country’s leading sporting figures.

A season built on consistency

Antonelli has won nine races and finished on the podium 16 times across 19 rounds. He has been outside the top five only twice, giving him a steady points return that Russell was unable to match.

His first Formula 1 victory came from pole position in China and began a run of five consecutive wins, ending at Monaco. He also dominated at Spa-Francorchamps in July, a striking turnaround from the previous year, when a poor qualifying session at the Belgian circuit left him in tears.

At Monza, Antonelli produced one of the defining drives of the championship. After taking an engine penalty, he started 19th and reached the leading group by lap 13. He then took 15 seconds out of race leader Russell over 21 laps before passing him in the closing stages, prompting celebrations from the tifosi for a driver outside Ferrari’s traditional red.

Russell’s engine failure in the one-off Malaysia round further weakened his challenge. The Briton has had two retirements that, according to the account of his season, cost him 40 points, and he fell behind Lewis Hamilton into third in the championship after Mexico.

The title outcome was markedly different from pre-season expectations, when Russell was regarded as favourite in what was considered the fastest car on the grid. Instead, Antonelli, the Mercedes prospect Toto Wolff selected to replace Hamilton, emerged as the team’s dominant driver.

Mercedes backed its teenage prospect

Antonelli joined Mercedes’ young driver programme in 2018, when he was 12. Before that, he had begun karting aged five at a mini-bike track in Galliano Park in Forli, roughly an hour from his Bologna home. He had been signed by Minardi Management at eight.

His father, Marco Antonelli, was an amateur racer in Italy and ran a racing team in nearby San Marino. The account of Kimi’s early interest in racing dates to when he was three, when he asked to try a simulator Marco had brought home. Kimi handled the steering wheel while his father worked the pedals.

Antonelli accumulated 18 karting championships between 2018 and 2022. His progression continued with Formula Regional titles in the Middle East and Europe in 2023, after which Mercedes moved him directly into Formula 2 rather than Formula 3.

His Formula 2 campaign was not a straightforward march to the top. Antonelli finished sixth and won two races. He also crashed a Mercedes at Parabolica during his Formula 1 race weekend debut at Monza, after just 10 minutes of practice, although Mercedes had already decided he would partner Russell in 2025.

Wolff’s reaction in the garage was: “All good Kimi. All good.” The Mercedes team principal had turned to Antonelli after Lewis Hamilton’s departure, having been unable to convince Max Verstappen to leave Red Bull.

Antonelli’s rookie year in Formula 1 contained difficult moments, but the 2026 car regulations and Mercedes’ stronger competitiveness helped reshape his fortunes. The new battery-engine balance suited Antonelli’s approach, while Russell struggled at some circuits with tyre overheating linked to his smoother style and earlier braking.

Antonelli maintained his focus as drivers including Verstappen and Lando Norris criticised the new cars. His ability to find small gains, coupled with his consistency, created a title advantage that grew to more than 100 points in the closing weeks.

Ferrari’s missed opportunity

Antonelli’s championship has renewed attention on Ferrari’s decision not to sign him during his early development. The team is based in Maranello, around 30 minutes from Antonelli’s home in the Emilia Romagna region.

Massimo Rivola, then director of Ferrari’s Driver Academy, was reportedly keen to bring Antonelli into the team’s system. But then-team principal Maurizio Arrivabene considered him too young to sign for an F1 team, allowing Mercedes to secure him instead.

Antonelli’s calm manner has been noted in the Formula 1 paddock. At Mercedes’ media event at the Australian season opener, he greeted reporters individually and asked about their journeys amid Middle East travel disruption days earlier. He had similarly introduced himself to members of the press room at F1 75 Live in London before his rookie season.

His parents, Marco and Veronica, have been credited in the account of his upbringing, while Marco watched from the Mercedes garage in Mexico City as his son completed the title-winning weekend. The team, however, was due to return to its Brackley base on Sunday night rather than remain for celebrations in Mexico.

Antonelli’s first podium appearance at the Shanghai International Circuit in March was marked by an awkward announcement when veteran podium presenter Bob Constanduros mistakenly congratulated “Kimi Raikkonen.” The comparison with Ferrari’s 2007 champion has endured, though, with Antonelli’s composed driving helping deliver a historic title in only his second Formula 1 season.