- On Sunday, November 1, Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli clinched the 2026 Formula One Drivers’ Championship by finishing third at the Mexico City Grand Prix, becoming the sport’s youngest-ever world champion at 20.
- Antonelli secured nine victories throughout the 2026 season, consistently outperforming Mercedes teammate George Russell to maintain an unassailable lead that never wavered during the campaign.
- A red flag halted the race at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on lap 45 after Cadillac’s Valtteri Bottas suffered a suspension failure and crashed; Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won ahead of Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton.
- Antonelli’s victory ended Italy’s 73-year wait for a world champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953, while the 20-year-old shattered Sebastian Vettel’s age record of 23 set in 2010.
- Former team principal Otmar Szafnauer attributed Antonelli’s success to his “mental preparedness” and “raw talent,” validating Mercedes’ decision to fast-track the teenager into a top seat.
Kimi Antonelli: The kid who drove a Lamborghini at 10 and 20 became the youngest Formula 1 world champion
The Italian who won the F1 title at dawn is a 10 million euro investment by Mercedes, the successor to Lewis Hamilton and a personal bet of Toto Wolff who wanted to produce… his own Max Verstappen.
He was just 10 years old when his father realized that his son was no ordinary child. He was sitting on his lap, holding the steering wheel of a Lamborghini and changing gears, while the car was traveling at 320 kilometers per hour. Ten years later, that boy from Bologna would make history, winning the Formula 1 world championship and breaking a record he had held since 2010.
Kimi Antonelli became the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history in the early hours of Monday. At just 20 years and 68 days old, the Italian Mercedes driver mathematically secured the title at the Mexican Grand Prix, finishing third, behind Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton.
It took him just two seasons to surpass Sebastian Vettel’s record, which he had won in 2010 at the age of 23 years and 134 days. He also became the first Italian to win the title since Alberto Ascari in 1953. But behind the celebrations lies a special family story, which began in a garage with a father who feared his son would follow in his footsteps.
Lamborghini, 320 km/h and the revelation of talent
Marco Antonelli still remembers that day at the Andria circuit in northeastern Italy. He was there with his Lamborghini racing team, and 10-year-old Kimi was competing in a go-kart race. “Do you want to try out the Lamborghini?” he asked. The little boy didn’t need a second invitation.
Marco sat in the driver’s seat and placed his son on his lap. The father operated the accelerator and brake, while Kimi took over the steering and gear changes. “I couldn’t see the track because he was sitting in front of me wearing a helmet. I could only see the signs before the corners,” he tells the BBC.
They gradually increased speed, until the Lamborghini reached 320 km/h. Under heavy braking, the rear of the car began to slide. “Kimi controlled the oversteer perfectly, changed gear and we continued. I told him to stop because it had become dangerous.”
When he later watched the video, Marco realized what had happened. “Then I thought: Maybe there’s something special about him.”
The child who was “born in a garage”
Andrea Kimi Antonelli was born on August 25, 2006 in Bologna and literally grew up surrounded by racing cars. “From the time he was 15 days old he was in the garage, listening to the engines and smelling the exhaust,” his father recalls. At the age of three, he spent endless hours on a driving simulator, sitting on Marco’s lap.
One night, his father fell asleep from fatigue and did not press the brake in time. “Dad, dad, don’t sleep! I have to drive!” the little boy shouted. Despite his talent, Marco did not initially want to become a professional driver. He had experienced great disappointments himself, missing career opportunities with Alfa Romeo and BMW.
“I suffered a lot and was afraid that my son would experience the same,” he admits.
Mercedes invested $10 million in the child prodigy
By the time Kimi was 11, his name had already reached the Mercedes offices. The German team sent talent scout Gwen Lagri to Italy to watch him. Impressed by his ability to compete with drivers in more powerful karts, Toto Wolff decided to invest in him.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Mercedes spent around $10 million on his development before he even competed in a Formula 1 race. For seven years, it covered training, travel, equipment, racing and specialized training. Antonelli repaid the trust with titles in karts, Formula 4 and Formula Regional, moving up the categories with impressive speed.
In 2024, he raced in Formula 2, having already secured a place in Wolff’s future plans.
“We will put Kimi in Formula 1”
The big opportunity came when Lewis Hamilton decided to leave Mercedes for Ferrari. Wolff immediately called Marco Antonelli. “We have very big news. We are going to put Kimi in Formula 1. What do you think?” The father’s response was typical. “Of course I am happy. But are you sure he is ready?”
Mercedes handed over the position of a seven-time world champion to a teenager who had not yet obtained a road driving license. His debut in 2025 was accompanied by excellent performances but also many mistakes. The pressure was enormous, while an accident in Monza, in the 2024 tests, had shaken his self-confidence. Disappointments followed, even tears in front of journalists after poor performances.
“In other teams he would have been fired,” Wolff had admitted, defending his choice.
The 2026 launch and Federer’s advice
Antonelli’s second season changed everything. With Mercedes in charge of a highly competitive car, the Italian took six wins and six pole positions in the first 11 races. At Monza he produced one of his most impressive performances, winning despite starting from 19th place.
A change in how he handled pressure was also crucial. In the summer, when he met Roger Federer at Wimbledon, the Swiss tennis legend advised him to focus on one match at a time and on what he could control.
In Mexico on 1 November, this maturity proved enough to complete his triumph. He needed only ninth place to secure the title, but he finished third and made history.
His father, whom Kimi calls his “rock,” watched the child who once sat on his lap become the youngest Formula 1 world champion.
And Toto Wolff saw his boldest bet come true. The mastermind of Mercedes had also made a personal bet: to produce… his own Max Verstappen. A child “programmed” to win from a young age. And it seems he has already succeeded.
“The plan was for him to gain experience in 2025 and start producing results in 2026,” recalls Marco Antonelli. “I think we exceeded expectations.”
