F1: Kimi Antonelli becomes the youngest world champion after third place in Mexico City

Kimi Antonelli didn't need to win to win the crown. Third in Mexico's Grand Prix, Sunday, November 1, 2026, the Mercedes driver became the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history. The BBC, Euronews and TF1info agree on the result: Max Verstappen wins Red Bull ahead of Lewis Hamilton on Ferrari and the new champion. The official F1 report confirms this podium. [S16] [S3] [S8] [S35]

A record in his second season

At 20 years and 68 days, Antonelli succeeded Sebastian Vettel as the youngest world champion. The German won his first title at 23 in 2010. He also became the first rider in his country to win since Alberto Ascari in 1953. The consecration took place in his second season in F1, with four Grand Prix still on the programme. For Mercedes, this is the first driver title since Hamilton in 2020. [S16] [S3] [S34]

This precocity is accompanied by a particularly regular season. Time brings together nine victories and sixteen podiums in 19 Grand Prix. The Guardian highlights Mercedes' competitiveness in the first part of the championship, but also the way Antonelli exploited this advantage against his teammate George Russell. The title thus rewards an individual performance in the work of a stable, rather than a talent presented as independent of its means. [S4] [S34]

Ensuring the title, without giving up the podium

A ninth place was enough for Antonelli to be sacred, whatever the results of his opponents. In the fourth, he had to deal with a turbulent race: a red flag after the Valteri Bottas accident, then a late intervention of the safety car after that of Arvid Lindblad. However, he finished on the podium behind two riders several times world champions. [S16] [S35]

Time and BBC report that he took advantage of Charles Leclerc after the recovery. This overrun allowed him to turn a race where he had to ensure the championship into a new podium. The third place was therefore not a necessary condition of the sacre, but it gave another sporting dimension to its day. [S4] [S16]

Upon arrival, the mastery left room for tears. "Thank you very much, we did it!" said Antonelli on the radio, according to RTBF. In the interview published by the International Automobile Federation, he thanked Mercedes and his family, without which he felt he would not be there. He also admits that he was more tense than usual during this decisive weekend and still says he is trying to realize what just happened. [S11] [S36]

Verstappen wins, Hamilton leaves frustrated

The day's victory comes back to Verstappen, party five. The Dutchman took advantage of the Ferrari struggle and then resisted Hamilton. Leclerc received a penalty for leaving the track and getting an advantage in his initial confrontation with his teammate. He finished fourth, ahead of Lando Norris and Russell. These positions are confirmed by the official F1 report. [S35]

Hamilton believes that a victory escaped him because of the battle with Leclerc, reports the BBC. This judgement remains that of a protagonist: it does not demonstrate that another management would necessarily have offered Ferrari success. Verstappen stressed Red Bull's good choices and the difficulty in keeping Hamilton behind him until the end. [S16] [S36]

An accident and still different details

The Bottas accident was the main stop of the race. The BBC and TF1info report a break in suspension on its Cadillac, followed by a violent shock against the barriers. According to TF1info and Blick, no injuries were found after his visit to the medical centre. These reports describe a failure without establishing technical responsibility. [S16] [S8] [S12]

Some details remain discordant: the Japan Times evokes a 33-minute interruption, compared to more than 40 minutes at Blick. The ranking above the first six also differs between several media stories and the official report, which mentions penalties. However, these differences do not concern the podium or the title: Antonelli leaves Mexico World Champion, Verstappen winner and Hamilton second. [S28] [S12] [S8] [S35]