Kimi Antonelli's Formula 1 World Drivers' Championship triumph in Mexico City has been a long time coming.

The Italian driver has been a class above in 2026, with the Mercedes W17 powering the 20-year-old home to his first individual title in only his second season in the sport.

By becoming champion at just 20 years and 68 days, Antonelli has beaten the record set by Sebastian Vettel, who was only 23 years and 134 days old when he became the sport's youngest-ever title winner back in 2010.

It was the first of four Drivers' Championship trophies the German picked up during a dominant era in F1 for Red Bull Racing, a period that could potentially be on the cusp of repeating itself in the years to come, with Antonelli having time on his side to add to his trophy cabinet.

Kimi Antonelli Reacts to Drivers' Championship Win

After creating history, the Italian driver, who has secured 16 podiums and nine wins this season, was lost for words after he yet again made it to the podium with his third-place finish in Mexico City.

“I’m speechless. ⁠I’m trying to process what has just happened,” he said.

“It’s been an incredible season, and to share this podium with Max (Verstappen) and Lewis (Hamilton) is truly incredible. And looking forward to some more battles in the future.

“This weekend I did feel a bit more tense. But I’m just so happy that we got it done, and now we can enjoy the rest of the season.

“On the last lap, I just backed off because I just couldn't see the track. I was getting emotional. So it was just good to bring it home.”

No Prize Money For Kimi Antonelli

Remarkably, despite becoming Mercedes' first champion since 2020, Antonelli won't receive any additional prize money for making history. As has become the norm, that money will instead go directly to the team itself.

With a reported prize pool of roughly $1.4 billion, which is awarded to teams based on constructor standings, it would be ludicrous to assume drivers would benefit individually at the expense of the team.

Instead, Antonelli is set to pocket a small bonus, reaching a tidy sum of $11m on top of his base salary of $2 million, far behind his fellow podium finishers in Mexico City: Verstappen ($70 million) and Hamilton ($60 million), who both rank among the richest drivers on the current F1 grid.

Antonelli's current deal expires in 2027, but it includes an option to extend through the 2028-29 season.