'I'm speechless:' Antonelli crowned youngest F1 champion in Mexico

Italian formula One driver Kimi Antonelli of team Mercedes drives during the Mexican Grand Prix at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. (is associated with: «'I'm speechless:' Antonelli crowned youngest F1 champion in Mexico») Bradley Collyer/PA Wire/dpaKimi Antonelli of Mercedes clinched the 2026 Formula One drivers' title to become the sports' youngest-ever champion at the age of 20 on Sunday.He is also the first Italian to be crowned world champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953."Get in there, Kimi! Champion of the world!" race engineer Peter Bonnington blasted over the radio after Antonelli crossed the finish line.Antonelli sealed the title after finishing third at the Mexican Grand Prix. With four races to go, his closest challengers - team-mate George Russell and Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari - cannot catch him in the standings."We did it! And I wouldn't be here without Mercedes and without my family. I'm speechless, I'm trying to process what's just happened," the Italian said in his first interview as world champion.Max Verstappen of Red Bull won the race, which had a long interruption of over 40 minutes after Valtteri Bottas crashed his Cadillac into the wall and the barriers needed repair.Antonelli had the first chance to wrap up the title last weekend at the United States GP, and it was only a matter of time until he could start celebrating.The young driver has dominated the season with nine victories and seven pole positions in 19 events so far. He made his title ambitions clear when he won five grand prix in a row earlier this year in China, Japan, Miami, Canada and Monaco, and he didn't go more than three consecutive races without a win.One of the most remarkable moments of his title-winning season was when he delivered an epic recovery from 19th to first to win the Italian GP on home soil in Monza - becoming the first Italian to win at the Temple of Speed since 1966.His success also means that Mercedes have a champion for the first time since 2020. Back then, Lewis Hamilton claimed a record-equalling seventh title. Six years later, his replacement has brought the trophy back to the German team.Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel, now retired, was the previous youngest F1 champion. He won his first title at 23 years, 134 days in 2010.