Five key moments in Kimi Antonelli’s 2026 F1 championship-winning campaign
03 November 2026Kimi Antonelli has made Formula 1 history by becoming the youngest-ever World Drivers' Champion, securing the title at just 20 years old following a third-place finish at the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix.
It has been a remarkable second season in F1 for Antonelli, with maiden victories and record-breaking performances along the way. But which moments proved most pivotal in his 2026 F1 title campaign?
1. Chinese Grand Prix: Antonelli announces himself with maiden F1 victory
While George Russell opened the season with victory in Melbourne, Antonelli endured a more turbulent start to the year, crashing heavily in practice, before a comeback drive in the race saw him finish second to his team-mate.
However, in the Chinese Grand Prix, things played out a little differently. Russell took victory in Saturday's Sprint, but Antonelli responded emphatically in Qualifying by claiming his first-ever Formula 1 pole position. He then carried that momentum into Sunday's Grand Prix, making a strong start to get ahead of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.
Antonelli eventually crossed the finish line five seconds clear of Russell, securing his maiden Grand Prix victory and becoming the second-youngest race winner in F1 history.
2. Canadian Grand Prix: A fierce battle between team-mates
Antonelli's breakthrough in China was the beginning of an extraordinary five-race winning streak, and one of the standout moments during that spell came in Canada, where he and Russell produced an enthralling intra-team duel.
The pair spent around 30 laps battling over the lead, which was an important step in Antonelli's development, demonstrating that he wasn’t intimidated when his team-mate was firing on all cylinders.
Unfortunately for Russell, his afternoon came to an abrupt end when an engine failure brought his Mercedes to a halt. While Antonelli continued his impressive run of victories, Russell was losing yet more ground.
3. Monaco Grand Prix: Antonelli completes a first Grand Slam
One round later, the streets of the principality provided the backdrop for another piece of F1 history. The young Italian produced a flawless weekend to secure victory at one of the sport's most prestigious races, completing a Grand Slam in the process.
That meant taking pole position, leading every lap, recording the fastest lap and winning the Grand Prix, an achievement that placed him among a select group of drivers to have completed all four feats in a single race. He also became the youngest driver to achieve a Grand Slam in Formula 1, adding another significant record to his growing collection.
As if that wasn’t enough, it was also his fifth consecutive Grand Prix victory, further extending his advantage in the Drivers' Championship.
4. Italian Grand Prix: From the back of the grid to a historic Monza victory
Starting from the back of the grid following a penalty, the Mercedes driver faced a considerable task at the ultra-high-speed Monza circuit. Antonelli made light work of the challenge, combining an effective strategic approach with some exceptional passing manoeuvres to carve his way through the field.
The result was one of the standout victories of the entire 2026 season, in which Antonelli charged through the order to take the chequered flag first, while also becoming the first Italian driver in 60 years to win the Italian Grand Prix at Monza.
He had already demonstrated his ability to win from pole position and control a race from the front, but Monza showed that he could also produce something special when starting from the opposite end of the grid.
5. United States Grand Prix: The race that teed up the title
Mercedes had introduced upgrades in recent rounds, but the changes had made the car increasingly unpredictable. And as F1 headed stateside, Ferrari and Red Bull had also closed the gap, meaning the Silver Arrows no longer had their performance advantage from earlier in the year.
However, Antonelli delivered a champion's drive in Austin, taking pole position before dominating the race to win by 13 seconds. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff was hugely impressed by Antonelli's performance, regarding it as perhaps the strongest Grand Prix drive he had witnessed from the young Italian.
That meant Antonelli arrived at the Mexico City Grand Prix with the championship within touching distance, and a points finish would be enough to make history. He kept his composure throughout the race, eventually securing third place and the result he needed to become Formula 1's youngest-ever World Champion.
At 20 years and 68 days old, Antonelli had officially taken the record from Sebastian Vettel, who had held it since his first title in 2010.
