Kimi Antonelli has become the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history. The 20-year-old Mercedes driver finished third at the Mexican Grand Prix, which was enough to clinch the title; the race was won by Max Verstappen.
The race at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez took place on Sunday, 1 November. According to the official Formula 1 website, Verstappen (Red Bull) won in a time of 2:20:28.772, second was Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) 0.799 s behind, and third was Antonelli, who finished 4.006 s behind the winner.
Vettel’s record broken
According to Euronews, Antonelli is the first Italian world champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953. The previous age record belonged to Sebastian Vettel, who won his title in 2010 at the age of 23. After Mexico, Antonelli has 380 points according to the standings published by Sports Illustrated. Second-placed Verstappen has 261, and third-placed Hamilton has 259.
We previously reported what Antonelli needed to do to become champion already in Mexico. The scenario played out: the Italian arrived in Mexico with 365 points, and the podium gave him 15 more.
After the race, Antonelli said he was still trying to understand what had happened. He added that he could share this moment with his family. Euronews reports that he was in Mexico with his parents and younger sister. The driver fell ill before the weekend and did not appear at the Thursday media day.
A chaotic race and Hamilton’s anger
Hamilton started from pole position, his first in Ferrari colours. On lap four he lost the lead in a battle with his teammate Charles Leclerc. After the race he said his team had the pace to win. He also added that Ferrari must hold „serious conversations” behind closed doors. According to PlanetF1, during the race the Briton accused the stewards of „giving” the win to Leclerc.
The race featured safety car periods and a red flag stoppage. Racing resumed on lap 65. Verstappen got a good start at the restart and kept Hamilton behind him for the remaining laps. According to Euronews, it was Verstappen’s sixth win in Mexico. Leclerc finished fourth, Lando Norris (McLaren) fifth, and George Russell, Antonelli’s Mercedes teammate, sixth.
What’s next in the season
The title was decided before the end of the season. The remaining races are the Brazilian and Las Vegas Grands Prix, and finally Qatar and Abu Dhabi. Euronews notes that it is unclear whether the last two races will go ahead due to the unstable situation in the region.
We also previously covered the qualifying in Austin, after which the title seemed close.
What it means
For fans in Poland, this means there are still races left to the end of the season without the pressure of the title. The fight now is for second place in the standings (Verstappen is two points ahead of Hamilton) and for the Constructors’ Championship. The official classification is published by the FIA.
