Antonelli becomes F1's youngest champion with Mexico title clinch

Kimi Antonelli became F1's 36th world champion by finishing third at the Mexico City Grand Prix, clinching his maiden title at 20 years and 68 days. Max Verstappen won the race from Lewis Hamilton, but Mercedes' Italian youngster sealed the crown with nine wins in his second season.

Why it matters:

Antonelli ends Italy's 73-year wait for a world champion and resets F1's record book. He beats Sebastian Vettel's 16-year youngest-champion mark by more than three years, joining Jacques Villeneuve and Lewis Hamilton in winning a first title in only his second season.

The details:

• Antonelli is Italy's first champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953. His nine wins rank second among Italian drivers, behind Ascari's 13.
• He won at Monza in September, the first Italian winner of the Italian Grand Prix since Ludovico Scarfiotti in 1966.
• Record run: youngest polesitter (China), youngest championship leader (Japan), youngest pole-win-fastest lap hat-trick (China) and youngest Grand Slam (Monaco).
• He is the only driver to win multiple races as a teenager and the first to win his opening five races in succession, from China to Monaco.

What's next:

F1 heads to Brazil for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix on November 6-8, the final leg of the triple header. With the title settled, Antonelli's focus turns to closing a breakthrough campaign strongly for Mercedes.