Kimi Antonelli youngest F1 champion history was sealed in Mexico City on Sunday when the Mercedes driver finished third in a chaotic, red-flagged Grand Prix and made his overall lead mathematically safe. At 20 years and 68 days old, the Italian took the chequered flag at the high-altitude Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez with an unassailable 119-point advantage in the drivers’ championship.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won the race. Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton started from pole and finished a close second. Antonelli sobbed with joy over the team radio as race engineer Peter Bonnington told him he was champion of the world. His parents and sister were there to embrace him when he climbed out of the car, before the pit crew swarmed him.
How the Mexico City race unfolded
The afternoon brought two safety cars, several incidents and a 33-minute stoppage with 25 of the 71 laps still to run. Hamilton led away from pole—his 105th career pole and his first for Ferrari at a full grand prix—with Charles Leclerc slotting in from third. The Ferrari pair fought side by side early on; Leclerc cut turn four across the grass, Verstappen moved into second, and stewards later gave Leclerc a five-second penalty. Hamilton told his team he had been pushed out by his own teammate.
George Russell, Antonelli’s Mercedes teammate, started on the front row but dropped to fifth after a poor getaway and later received a 10-second penalty for a clash that sent Isack Hadjar’s Red Bull off. A virtual safety car on lap seven followed Lance Stroll stopping his Aston Martin on track. The full red flag came on lap 46 after Valtteri Bottas suffered a high-speed front-left suspension failure in his Cadillac and hit the barriers at turn one. Bottas was treated in the car, then walked to an ambulance with a thumbs up and was later released from the medical centre.
From the restart, Verstappen led, Hamilton challenged, and Antonelli passed Leclerc. Another safety car followed a collision involving Lindblad and Oscar Piastri. Racing resumed with nine laps left. Verstappen, cleared of a false-start call, held on for his 74th career win—and sixth in Mexico—by 0.799 seconds, with Antonelli about four seconds further back. Leclerc finished fourth, Lando Norris fifth and Russell sixth. Piastri crossed seventh but a 10-second penalty for causing a collision dropped him to 15th, promoting Franco Colapinto, Liam Lawson, Pierre Gasly and Gabriel Bortoleto into the remaining points places.
Standings after the title is decided
With the Kimi Antonelli youngest F1 champion result confirmed, Verstappen moved to second in the overall standings, Hamilton to third and pre-season favourite Russell to fourth, 130 points behind Antonelli. Mercedes sit on 630 points in the constructors’ championship to Ferrari’s 504 and could wrap up that title in Brazil next weekend. Speaking to the crowd with an Italian flag on his shoulders, Antonelli said he was speechless, called the season incredible, and said he looked forward to more battles after a tense weekend that ended in relief.
He is the first Italian champion since Alberto Ascari, 73 years earlier. The previous youngest champion was Germany’s Sebastian Vettel, who won the first of his four titles with Red Bull at 23 years and 134 days in 2010.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- 1953: Alberto Ascari becomes the last Italian Formula One world champion before Antonelli.
- 2010: Sebastian Vettel, at 23 years and 134 days, becomes the previous youngest F1 champion with Red Bull.
- Sunday, Mexico City (start): Hamilton starts from pole for Ferrari; early Ferrari clash and safety-car periods disrupt the race.
- Lap 46 of 71: Race red-flagged for about 33 minutes after Bottas’s suspension failure and barrier impact; Bottas later walks clear and is released from the medical centre.
- Restart to flag: Verstappen wins; Hamilton second; Antonelli third and clinches the drivers’ title with a 119-point lead that cannot be caught.
- Next weekend, Brazil: Mercedes, leading Ferrari 630–504 in constructors’ points, could clinch that championship.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Kimi Antonelli Mexico City mein teesray number par finish karke Formula One ka sab se chhota world champion ban gaya hai. Us ki umar 20 saal aur 68 din hai, aur woh Mercedes ke liye race karta hai. Title ab us ke naam pe confirm hai kyunke points ka faida 119 tak pahunch gaya hai. Pakistani fans ke liye yeh mausam ka bada khatima hai: naya champion tay ho chuka hai, aur aglay races ab zyada free mood mein dekhe ja sakte hain.
