Kimi Antonelli has made Formula 1 history during only his second full-time season competing in the global racing series.
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The Mercedes driver clinched his first World Drivers' Championship on Sunday by finishing third in the Mexico City Grand Prix. He became the youngest champion in series history at 20 years and 68 days.
Antonelli also became the first Italian champion in 73 years. Alberto Ascari won back-to-back championships in 1952 and 1953.
KIMI ANTONELLI IS THE 2026 F1 WORLD CHAMPION!!! 🏆
The youngest to ever do it at 20 years and 68 days old!#F1 #MexicoGP pic.twitter.com/AtRw2RZsg9
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 1, 2026
"Unbelievable. I think what he's done is he's blown everyone away," 2025 champion Lando Norris said about Antonelli. "I hope everyone gives him enough credit for what he's achieved this year, because he's made everyone else look silly, he's driven that well, and he's been able to click with his car.
"He's worked hard to understand how to drive this car, and he's exploited it better than anyone else. So he deserves every single bit of success. He's had an unbelievable year, and it's even more impressive that it's only his second season in F1.
"He's 20 years old, it's incredible. So I'm very happy for him, very, very happy for him. And I'm very happy to see my number one go over to him, because he deserves it. So in a way, happy to see it go."
To Norris' point, Antonelli has been on a historic streak this season while winning nine times. He became the youngest driver to win pole position, which he did at the age of 19 years, six months, and 18 days. He then became the youngest winner from the pole position.
The achievements continue with Antonelli becoming the first driver to win from his first three pole starts and the youngest winner of the Monaco Grand Prix.
Another statistic that some F1 fans may want to ignore is the fact that Antonelli is the first driver in F1 history to win the championship after being born in the 2000s. The last five championships went to drivers born in the 1990s — Max Verstappen in 2021-24 and Norris in 2025.
The wild part is that Antonelli still has time to add to his historic resume. Four rounds remain in the 2026 F1 season, provided that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East does not disrupt Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
