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Kimi Antonelli is F1’s Newest Champion
Mark Thompson//Getty Images

Twelve championships stand on the podium following the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix as Kimi Antonelli becomes the youngest F1 Champion in sports history with a third-place finish in Mexico City.

The 20-year-old Italian only needed a ninth-place finish in the Mexico City Grand Prix to win the championship, but that wasn’t enough for him and Mercedes, as the team went on to secure it with a podium finish behind the Four-time and Seven-time champions.

Antonelli finished third in the Mexico City Grand Prix, joining Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton on the podium the driver that Mercedes missed out on to start Toto Wolff’s vindetta to find the future of the sport, and the legendary driver that Kimi replaced.

“We did it,” Antonelli told F1TV. “And without them, I wouldn't be here without Mercedes, without my family. So I'm very grateful for this moment and it's one that will live forever. And I'm speechless. I am trying to process what has just happened.

“It's been an incredible season, and to share this podium with Max and Lewis is truly incredible. And yeah, looking forward to some more battles in the future.”

Through 19th rounds, Kimi Antonelli won nine races and finished on the podium in 16 races to secure the championship with four races remaining on the calendar.

Victoria Beaver is a nomadic sports writer who spends her time hopping between race tracks and hippie farms. She’s covered every corner of motorsports that will let her in from 410 Sprints to NASCAR to Supercross. Her daily driver is a 2010 Subaru that she refused to do the smallest amount of preventative maintenance on. Instead, she spends her free time and money building a 42-foot Skoolie to one day travel the country full time.

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