Motorsport · Mexico City, Bologna, and Monza
Kimi Antonelli wins 2026 F1 title in Mexico, Italy's first champion since Ascari in 1953
The title came from third place after a red-flagged race in Mexico City, where the 20-year-old also became the youngest champion in the sport's history.
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In brief
Antonelli needed two points at the Mexican Grand Prix and finished third behind Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, which gave him the 2026 title.
A structural failure on Valtteri Bottas's Cadillac caused a tyre to burst and sent the car into the barriers, and the race was stopped with 25 laps left.
Antonelli is Italy's third world champion, after Nino Farina in 1950 and Alberto Ascari in 1952 and 1953, the last one 73 years earlier.
At 20, Antonelli beat the record Sebastian Vettel held at 23 and became the 36th driver to win the title in the 77th championship.
- 1950Nino Farina wins the first world championship with Alfa Romeo
- 1952Alberto Ascari wins his first title with Ferrari
- 1953Ascari wins his second straight title with Ferrari
- 1 NovKimi Antonelli clinches the title in Mexico City
Title decided in Mexico City
Kimi Antonelli is the 2026 Formula 1 world champion. He needed two points at the Mexican Grand Prix on Sunday, 1 November, and finished third behind Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. The 20-year-old from Bologna is Italy's third world champion, after Nino Farina in 1950 and Alberto Ascari in 1952 and 1953. He is also the youngest champion in the sport's history, beating the mark Sebastian Vettel set at 23.
How the race was decided
The race was stopped with 25 laps left after a structural failure on Valtteri Bottas's Cadillac. A tyre burst, his car hit the barriers, and the red flag came out. When the race was suspended, Verstappen led from Charles Leclerc's Ferrari and Antonelli's Mercedes. Hamilton, running fourth, complained over the radio about his duel with teammate Leclerc at the start and about race strategy, then threw his scooter to the ground after leaving his car.
The race restarted from a standing start. As Hamilton passed Leclerc, Antonelli attacked the Ferrari at the first corner of the next lap and took third. He held the position after a second Safety Car. George Russell, his main rival in the standings, received a ten-second penalty for contact with Hadjar, which left Antonelli's title path clear.
Ascari and the long Italian wait
Alberto Ascari was born in Milan on 13 July 1918. His father, Antonio Ascari, died at the 1925 French Grand Prix when Alberto was seven. Ascari won 13 races and 14 pole positions in 32 Grands Prix, and he clinched the 1953 title by winning the Swiss Grand Prix on 23 August 1953. He died at Monza in 1955, aged 36.
Between Ascari's titles and Antonelli's, Italian drivers came close without winning. Riccardo Patrese finished second in 1992 with Williams, behind Nigel Mansell. Michele Alboreto battled Alain Prost in 1985 until problems with his Ferrari compromised his season.
From karting to the title
Antonelli became European karting champion at 13 in 2020 and retained the title the following season with Mercedes. The Mercedes Academy then prepared him for single-seater racing, and he made his debut on 11 September 2021 at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, in Italian Formula 4. Mexico was his second full season in Formula 1, and he had started 43 Grands Prix before it.
Speaking to Sky Sport in the paddock less than an hour before the start, he said:
“Thank you all, all the Italians who will be watching me, I will do my best to carry the tricolore high.”
His father Marco, a former GT driver, runs the AKM Motorsport team. His 11-year-old sister arrived with him in the paddock wearing a dress inspired by the Dia de Muertos celebration.
Records and the season
The title is the 77th of the Formula 1 world championship, and Antonelli becomes the 36th driver to win it. Before 2026, Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton had seven titles each, followed by Juan Manuel Fangio with five.
- Michael Schumacher
- 7 titles
- Lewis Hamilton
- 7 titles
- Juan Manuel Fangio
- 5 titles
- Alain Prost
- 4 titles
- Sebastian Vettel
- 4 titles
- Max Verstappen
- 4 titles
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Sources and context
- FanpageKimi Antonelli world champion: in Mexico's Dia de Muertos, Italy relives the dream after 73 yearsKimi Antonelli campione del mondo: nel Dia de Muertos del Messico, l'Italia rivive il sogno dopo 73 anni · original in Italian
- Il MessaggeroAlberto Ascari, the last Italian to win a Formula 1 world championship: the triumph with Ferrari, then the tragic fate (in a suit and tie)Alberto Ascari, l'ultimo italiano a vincere un mondiale di Formula 1: il trionfo con la Ferrari, poi il tragico destino (in giacca e cravatta) · original in Italian
- Il MessaggeroKimi Antonelli Formula 1 world champion, an Italian 73 years after Ascari: no one like him, he is the youngest everKimi Antonelli campione del mondo di Formula 1, un italiano 73 anni dopo Ascari: nessuno come lui, è il più giovane di sempre · original in Italian
- Il MessaggeroKimi Antonelli, who is the new world champion. All the secrets: family, diet, routine, earnings and friendship with SinnerKimi Antonelli, chi è il nuovo campione del mondo. Tutti i segreti: la famiglia, la dieta, la routine, i guadagni e l'amicizia con Sinner · original in Italian
- Kimi Antonelli
- Mercedes driver who won the 2026 Formula 1 world championship at 20
- Valtteri Bottas
- Cadillac driver whose car suffered a structural failure and crashed into the barriers, halting the race
- Max Verstappen
- Red Bull driver who led the race and finished first
- Lewis Hamilton
- Ferrari driver who finished second and complained about race direction over the radio
- Charles Leclerc
- Ferrari driver who was overtaken by Hamilton and then attacked by Antonelli
- George Russell
- Mercedes driver and Antonelli's main rival in the standings, who received a ten-second penalty
- Alberto Ascari
- Italian driver who won the world titles in 1952 and 1953 with Ferrari
- Nino Farina
- Italian driver who won the first Formula 1 world championship in 1950
- Sebastian Vettel
- Former driver whose record for youngest champion Antonelli surpassed
- Places
- Mexico City, Mexico, Bologna, Italy, Monza
- Organizations
- Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari
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