Antonelli breaks F1 record at 20

Kimi Antonelli became the youngest Formula 1 champion in history on Sunday at age 20. The Mercedes driver finished third in the Mexico City Grand Prix, which was enough to clinch the title with four races still on the calendar. He crossed the finish line behind Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. After the race, Antonelli placed his hands on the steering wheel. His voice cracked as he said, “We did it, we did it.”

Antonelli secured an unassailable lead in the standings over his teammate George Russell and Hamilton. He is the first Italian to win the title since Alberto Ascari in 1953. The previous record holder was Sebastian Vettel, who became the youngest champion at age 23 in 2010. On the team radio, the new champion said, “Thank you so much, we did it, we did it, thank you so much … thank you.”

The path to the title involved a dramatic stoppage. The race was halted on lap 46 under a red flag. Valtteri Bottas crashed into the wall at the first corner due to suspension issues on the right side. Cadillac reported that Bottas received further medical assessments as a precaution. The driver exited the car unaided and waved to fans before leaving the track.

When the race restarted, Verstappen led the field. He was followed by Charles Leclerc, Hamilton, Antonelli, Lando Norris, and Russell. Verstappen held his position to claim his sixth win in Mexico City. Antonelli maintained his third-place finish to lock in the championship. At the end of the race, he told the crowd, “I would not be here, without Mercedes and my family, I am speechless just trying to process this. It has been an incredible season.”

The victory brought celebration to Italy. Stefano Domenicali, the Formula 1 CEO, noted that the country had waited 73 years for this moment. He stated that an entire nation would celebrate one of its own reaching the pinnacle of the sport. Domenicali added, “Today, his name joins the legends of our sport. A new chapter in Formula 1 history has been written, and I firmly believe this is only the beginning of an extraordinary legacy.”

Tension rose between Ferrari teammates during the race. Hamilton had started from pole position but lost the lead on the fourth lap. He battled Leclerc and briefly went off track, dropping to third place. Stewards investigated the maneuver and issued a five-second penalty to Leclerc. Hamilton expressed frustration with the decision. He said, “The stewards are basically handing Charles this win. We agreed in the drivers’ briefing.”

Hamilton argued that the penalty gave Leclerc clean air. He noted that the other driver did not have to manage the car like the rest of the field. “He should have just given the position back,” Hamilton said. Shortly before the red flag, Hamilton radioed his team, saying, “We’ve got problems … big, big problems.” He appeared visibly frustrated when he pulled into the garage.

Aston Martin faced reliability issues during the event. Fernando Alonso joked after qualifying that he would skip Mexico for Brazil. That scenario nearly played out. Alonso was forced to retire early due to an engine issue. His teammate Lance Stroll exited the race on the seventh lap. Alonso said the car failed in qualifying and then again in the race. He described the reliability issues as happening at the worst possible time.

The Formula 1 season continues in Brazil. The next scheduled event is in Las Vegas. The final two Grands Prix are planned for Qatar and Abu Dhabi. Officials have not yet confirmed if those races will take place due to instability in the region.