Kimi Antonelli Beats Vettel to Become F1’s Youngest Champion: Facts and Records

Andrea Kimi Antonelli is the 2026 F1 world champion after the Mexico GP, becoming the youngest title winner ever at 20 years, 68 days in only his second season.Mercedes’ Antonelli had his first shot at the title in Austin and sealed it in this weekend’s F1 Mexico GP by finishing third. He arrived in Mexico with 365 points, 123 clear of teammate George Russell and 124 clear of Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, who both had only an outside chance.It has been a dominant season, with Antonelli adjusting well to the new car and regulations. Going into Mexico, he had 9 wins from 18 Grands Prix, 15 podiums and 7 poles, including five wins in a row from China to Monaco. Russell started well by winning the season opener, but three retirements hurt his challenge.Antonelli is now the 36th driver to be crowned Formula 1 champion, and only the third from Italy after Giuseppe Farina and Alberto Ascari. The country waited 73 years for another one.GRANDE KIMI!! YOU ARE THE F1 WORLD CHAMPION!! https://t.co/OO6kmAM3LY— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) November 1, 2026Antonelli and Mercedes by the NumbersYoungest F1 World Champion: Andrea Kimi Antonelli at 20 years, 68 days (2026), beating Sebastian Vettel’s 23 years, 134 days (2010) by 1,162 days, and Lewis Hamilton’s 23 years, 300 days (2008).Number of F1 World Champions: 36 (Antonelli is the 36th driver to win a drivers’ championship).F1 World Champions From Italy: Giuseppe Farina (1950), Alberto Ascari (1952 and 1953) and Andrea Kimi Antonelli (2026).Most Wins by an Italian in One Season: Antonelli (9 in 2026), beating Ascari’s 6 (1952).Most Career Wins by an Italian: Ascari (13), then Antonelli (9) and Riccardo Patrese (6).Most Career Poles by an Italian: Ascari (14), Patrese (8) and Antonelli (7).Youngest F1 Pole-Sitter: Antonelli, who took the record from Vettel in China this season.(Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)Youngest F1 Race Winners: Antonelli is second on the list, behind Max Verstappen. His China win also made him the first Italian to win a Grand Prix since Giancarlo Fisichella in Malaysia in 2006, RACER reported.Italian GP: Antonelli won at Monza from 19th on the grid, becoming the first Italian to win the race since Ludovico Scarfiotti in 1966.Drivers to Win the F1 Championship With Mercedes: Juan Manuel Fangio (1954 and 1955), Lewis Hamilton (2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020), Nico Rosberg (2016) and Andrea Kimi Antonelli (2026). It is the team’s 10th drivers’ title and its first since 2020.Earliest to Win the F1 Championship in a Season: Michael Schumacher (6 races remaining in 2002 with Ferrari) is on top, followed by Nigel Mansell (5 races remaining in 1992 with Williams) and Max Verstappen (5 races remaining in 2023 with Red Bull). Antonelli (4 races remaining in 2026 with Mercedes) ties for fourth with Schumacher (2001 and 2004), Vettel (2011) and Verstappen (2022).Fewest Seasons to Win the F1 Championship: Farina won in his first season (1950). Antonelli, in his second, joins Fangio (1951), Jacques Villeneuve (1997) and Hamilton (2008).Power Unit Manufacturers With the Most Drivers’ Championships: Mercedes (15) is tied with Ferrari (15) on top, with Ford (13) in third.