Sports

Kimi Antonelli Wins Mexico City Grand Prix, Becoming Formula One’s Youngest Champion

By AFP and Reuters

Kimi Antonelli, the 20‑year‑old Italian, secured Formula One’s youngest world championship title at the Mexico City Grand Prix. He finished third for Mercedes behind Max Verstappen of Red Bull and Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari, who celebrated by lifting Antonelli onto the podium. Antonelli’s race engineer, Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington, praised the new champion as a generational talent and noted his playful personality. Antonelli said the podium was “truly incredible” and expressed excitement about future battles with Verstappen and Hamilton, stating that the win marks the beginning of a new chapter.

Antonelli grew up surrounded by motorsport. He first drove a competition Lamborghini with his father, Marco, at age ten and was introduced to the Formula One paddock at eight. He began karting at seven, despite his father’s initial reluctance due to the sport’s financial risks. Marco, a former driver and team principal, taught him racing and life lessons.

At 11, Antonelli was recruited by Mercedes junior programme head Gwen Lagrue, with Lewis Hamilton as his mentor. He dominated karting in 2020 and 2021, won the Italian and German F4 titles in 2022, and claimed the Formula Regional F3 championship in 2023. He moved directly to Formula Two in 2024, finishing sixth, and then stepped into Formula One with Mercedes.

In his rookie F1 season, Antonelli achieved a second place in Sao Paulo and two additional podiums, ending seventh in the championship. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff highlighted Antonelli’s talent and the need for a full season to develop under pressure.

Antonelli’s charismatic presence has made him a favorite in the paddock, with humour and jokes becoming a staple of his press conferences. Congratulations came from across Italy, including Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, football clubs, and tennis star Jannik Sinner.

Antonelli’s six race wins that led to the championship include: - China (March 15): first pole and first Grand Prix win at 19, becoming the second‑youngest F1 winner. - Canada (May 24): win after teammate George Russell retired. - Monaco (June 7): first victory on the street circuit, maintaining a perfect win record. - Italy (September 6): first Italian winner since 1961, starting 19th due to an engine penalty. - Azerbaijan (September 26): finished fifth after a qualifying error. - Malaysia (October 4): finished second, extending his championship lead to 84 points.

These victories positioned Antonelli ahead of Hamilton and Russell by significant margins, effectively ending Russell’s title challenge and signalling a new era in Formula One.