Five youngest F1 world champions as Kimi Antonelli takes top spot

FILE PHOTO - Mercedes' Andrea Kimi Antonelli celebrates with the team following the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas. (is associated with: «Five youngest F1 world champions as Kimi Antonelli takes top spot») Bradley Collyer/PA Wire/dpaKimi Antonelli has clinched the 2026 Formula One title to secure his place in history as the sport’s youngest world champion.Here, the Press Association looks at the youngest men to capture F1’s biggest prize.Kimi Antonelli – 20 years and 68 daysThe Italian has delivered an extraordinary performance in just his second season as an F1 driver, easily seeing off the challenge from George Russell and Lewis Hamilton. He struggled in his debut campaign, with questions even asked over whether he would see it out, but has shown why Mercedes had such faith in their protégé.Antonelli’s first F1 race triumph came at the second round of the season in China – the first of five in a row as he became the youngest Monaco Grand Prix winner. He also clinched an astonishing victory from the back of the grid on home soil at Monza and secured his maiden title by finishing third in Mexico – with four rounds still remaining.Sebastian Vettel – 23 years and 133 daysThe German clinched his first championship in 2010 in remarkable fashion as he overturned a 15-point deficit to Fernando Alonso in Abu Dhabi. With it he delivered Red Bull and Christian Horner’s first title success. It would prove the springboard to a period of dominance for Vettel and the Milton Keynes-based team as he won the next three championships as well.Vettel later replaced Alonso at Ferrari, where he spent five years, before finishing his F1 career at Aston Martin.Lewis Hamilton – 23 years and 300 daysThe British driver won the first of his seven titles in 2008 in just his second season in the sport. His late overtake on Timo Glock in Brazil has gone down in F1 folklore as he fended off fierce rival and team-mate Alonso and reeled in Kimi Räikkönen to clinch his maiden championship for McLaren.His next six titles came with Mercedes, who he joined in 2013, and he is still battling to move clear of Michael Schumacher by landing an eighth championship with Ferrari.Fernando Alonso – 24 years and 57 daysThe Spaniard took on the dominant force that was Schumacher and Ferrari and triumphed in 2005 to win his first championship with Renault. He won again in 2006 to become F1’s youngest double champion at the time.Few would have predicted he would still remain on just two championships, as one of the finest drivers in F1 history continues to defy time and drive for Aston Martin at the age of 45.Max Verstappen – 24 years and 73 daysThe Dutchman’s famous and controversial triumph over Hamilton on the last lap in Abu Dhabi in 2021 was the first of four championships in a row. Verstappen has established himself as arguably the best driver of his generation and among the finest ever after a dominant run – including winning 19 of the 23 races in 2023.