Kimi Antonelli Becomes Formula One’s Youngest World Champion in Mexico City

 Image via [aljazeera.com](https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2026/11/2/kimi-antonelli-becomes-formula-ones-youngest-world-champion-in-mexico-city). Kimi Antonelli became Formula One’s youngest world champion on Sunday after finishing third in the Mexico City Grand Prix. At just 20 years and 68 days old, he surpassed Sebastian Vettel's previous record of 23 years and 134 days set in 2010. The race was stopped after a brief safety car deployment on lap 46 of 71 after Valtteri Bottas suffered a high-speed front-left suspension failure down the straight, with his Cadillac pitching uncontrollably into the barriers at turn one. Despite this, Antonelli maintained his position to finish third, allowing him to clinch the championship. His parents and sister were there to embrace him when he stepped out of the car. Antonelli’s victory came after a tense final lap where he admitted he could barely see the track due to emotional overwhelm. 'On the last lap, I just backed off, because I just couldn’t see the track. I was getting emotional,' he later told reporters. The outcome reshaped the overall standings, with Mercedes leading the constructors’ championship at 630 points, ahead of Ferrari's 504 points. Antonelli’s teammate George Russell finished sixth, falling behind in the title race. Meanwhile, Bottas received medical attention after his crash but walked to an ambulance and gave a thumbs-up, signaling his recovery from the incident. He was the first Italian champion since 1953. The next races are set to take place in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, though their status remains uncertain due to ongoing geopolitical tensions. Sources: [aljazeera.com](https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2026/11/2/kimi-antonelli-becomes-formula-ones-youngest-world-champion-in-mexico-city) · [dw.com](https://www.dw.com/en/kimi-antonelli-makes-history-as-youngest-f1-champion/a-79825130)