20-Year-Old Kimi Antonelli Sets New F1 Record
The Italian driver secured his first world championship with four races remaining on the schedule.
By Carmen Wojcik ·
Andrea Kimi Antonelli is the new Formula One world champion. He clinched the title mathematically on Sunday after finishing third in the Mexican Grand Prix. This race served as the 19th round of the season.
Antonelli is 20 years, two months, and seven days old. He is the youngest champion in the history of the sport. The previous record belonged to Sebastian Vettel, who was 23 years and 134 days old when he won in 2010. Antonelli broke that mark by more than three years.
The victory marks a return to the top for Italian drivers. The last Italian to hold the crown was Alberto Ascari in 1953. That was 73 years ago. Ascari was the second and final Italian champion at that time. Antonelli joins Giuseppe Farina, who won in 1950, as only the third driver from Italy to claim the title.
Max Verstappen of the Netherlands won the race in Mexico. He finished ahead of Lewis Hamilton from Great Britain and Antonelli. This was Verstappen's 74th career victory. It was his third win this season and his sixth at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. Antonelli celebrated on the podium, marking a historic title for Mercedes and his country.
The championship conclusion arrives with four races left on the calendar. Antonelli secured his first crown in the top tier of motorsport. The result confirms his status as a leading figure in the sport at a very young age.
