It’s official: Kimi Antonelli is Formula 1’s youngest ever World Drivers’ Champion, and the last remaining vestige of my youth has disappeared.
I’m half-joking, but athletes do just seem to be getting younger. Back in the day, the best drivers around were in their mid 40s, balding, and jumping in a glorified four-wheeled motorcycle after a coffee and two cigarettes. And after all that, Fidel Castro might even have you kidnapped — those were the good old days.
Fortunately for everyone involved, a lot has changed. Driver safety has dramatically improved, the sport has seen widespread innovation, and racing has remained highly competitive. And with that, the level of athleticism required, or expected, of a driver has certainly risen. In a sport defined by fine margins, being half the age of the guy in front of you probably helps.
Frankly, single-seater racing is a business before it’s a sport. It is well known, with very few exceptions, that to reach F1 and its feeder categories, you’ve either got to be rolling in it or backed by someone who is. You could be God’s gift to motorsport and Lawrence Stroll would still put his son in that Aston Martin over you.
It therefore helps to have been “born in a garage.” Antonelli’s father is a motorsport driver, and his parents run an Italian GT and F4 team, so Antonelli has been driving since before he could even touch the pedals. Having been noticed by Mercedes early in his karting career, the 20-year-old is the youngest winner by more than three years. Not to mention, Antonelli is the first Italian to win the championship in 73 years, since Alberto Ascari in 1953 — not bad for a kid in his second season.
At the Mexican Grand Prix, it was relatively smooth sailing. Mercedes teammate George Russell picked up a penalty and was left firmly behind, while Antonelli calmly finished P3 behind Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, securing the title with four races to spare. Hamilton’s chance at the race win seemed over by Lap 2 after the two Ferraris ran wide, and Charles Leclerc’s subsequent penalty gifted Verstappen the lead. Chaos aside, the podium paints an impressive picture — with 11 championships between them, it seemed fitting for Verstappen and Hamilton to hoist the youngster onto their shoulders in congratulations.
He’ll be glad to have clinched the title in Mexico, too. Had he won in Austin last week, he wouldn’t have even been older enough to have a celebratory beer. And as much as I’d like to sulk about the fact that I’m 21 and jobless, it is more of a testament to how Antonelli has risen to the challenge. Questions about his experience have been raised every step of the way, and taking over from Hamilton as a rookie has been no different — it’s a bold move to replace the most successful driver ever with an actual schoolboy, but he has proved to be a worthy successor.
“2026 Chinese GP – Mercedes – Kimi Antonelli – Post Race Celebration” by Liauzh is licensed under CC BY 4.0.
