Domenicali hails Antonelli title as 'only the beginning' of F1 legacy

Kimi Antonelli is Formula 1's youngest world champion after finishing third at the Mexico City Grand Prix to seal the 2026 drivers' title. The Mercedes driver, 20, is also Italy's first champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953, ending a 73-year wait.

Why it matters:

Antonelli's title is historic on two fronts: it resets F1's age record and revives Italian championship glory. His rapid rise from Mercedes' junior programme to a race seat has now delivered the sport's biggest prize in only his second F1 season.

The details:

• Antonelli joined Mercedes' junior set-up in 2019 and was fast-tracked into Formula 2 for 2024, skipping Formula 3 entirely.
• He stepped into a Mercedes race seat in 2025 and has now converted that backing into a world title.
• F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali called the achievement "extraordinary", praising Antonelli's "exceptional talent, courage and determination".
• Domenicali said the title ended a 73-year wait for Italy and predicted "an entire nation will celebrate one of its own reaching the very pinnacle of our sport".
• He added that Antonelli's name now "joins the legends of our sport" and that this is "only the beginning of an extraordinary legacy".

What's next:

With the youngest champion crown secured, attention turns to whether Antonelli and Mercedes can turn this breakthrough into a sustained era of dominance. For now, F1 is celebrating a record-breaking title that carries significance far beyond the result.