Kimi Antonelli Wins First World Championship for Italy at Mexico City Grand Prix
Twenty-year-old Kimi Antonelli secured his first Formula One world title after finishing third in Mexico City, becoming Italy's first champion since 1953.
Kimi Antonelli clinched his inaugural Formula One world championship at the Mexico City Grand Prix, finishing third behind Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. The 20-year-old Italian, driving for Mercedes, became the first Italian champion since 1953.
"It’s a very special day," said Antonelli’s race engineer Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington, who has previously worked with multiple world champions. Antonelli described sharing the podium as "truly incredible" and said the victory marks "just the beginning" of his career.
Born to former driver Marco Antonelli and Elisabetta Antonelli, Kimi began karting at seven and was recruited into the Mercedes junior programme at 11. He progressed through karting, Italian and German F4, and Formula Regional before moving directly to Formula 2 in 2024 and then to Formula 1, where he earned podiums at Sao Paulo and other races.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff noted that Antonelli "had tremendous talent and a great personality" but required a full season to develop. The driver’s upbeat demeanor and humor have been noted throughout the paddock, and he received congratulations from Italian officials and athletes.
Antonelli’s season featured six wins, including pole-to-win performances in China, Canada, Monaco, Italy, and strong finishes in Azerbaijan and Malaysia, extending his championship lead to 84 points.