Kimi Antonelli breaks down in tears as he seals record-breaking F1 title
Kimi Antonelli has become the youngest ever winner of the Formula 1 driver’s championship ever by finishing third in Mexico. The 20-year-old Italian, who only needed to come in the top nine in Mexico City, wraps up the title with a third-place finish with three races to go of the season. At 20 years and 68 days old, Antonelli is the youngest ever F1 world championGetty Antonelli beats Sebastian Vettel’s record of being the youngest ever F1 champion by three years. As he crossed the line, Antonelli broke down in tears as he said to his Mercedes team: “Thank you so much. We did it, thank you so much… thank you.” Antonelli then embraced with his loved ones in an emotional moment trackside with race winner Max Verstappen and second-placed Lewis Hamilton offering their congratulations to the new champion. In an interview with Nico Rosberg, Antonelli added: “We did it, without Mercedes and my family I wouldn’t be here. I’m speechless, I’m trying to process it. View T
Kimi Antonelli has become the youngest ever winner of the Formula 1 driver’s championship ever by finishing third in Mexico.
The 20-year-old Italian, who only needed to come in the top nine in Mexico City, wraps up the title with a third-place finish with three races to go of the season.
Antonelli beats Sebastian Vettel’s record of being the youngest ever F1 champion by three years.
As he crossed the line, Antonelli broke down in tears as he said to his Mercedes team: “Thank you so much. We did it, thank you so much… thank you.”
Antonelli then embraced with his loved ones in an emotional moment trackside with race winner Max Verstappen and second-placed Lewis Hamilton offering their congratulations to the new champion.
In an interview with Nico Rosberg, Antonelli added: “We did it, without Mercedes and my family I wouldn’t be here. I’m speechless, I’m trying to process it.
“It’s been an incredible season… I’m looking forward to some more battles in the future.
“I’m just so happy that we got it done and now we can enjoy the rest of the season.”
Antonelli becomes youngest ever world champion
In a Grand Prix interrupted by a red flag that led to a 25-lap sprint finish, Antonelli drove a composed race.
Most of the action happened in front of him as Hamilton desperately tried to pass Verstappen after the two had made contact at the first chicane at the restart.
Meanwhile, tensions between Hamilton and Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc came close to boiling over as a result of the latter’s aggression on the first lap.
Antonelli just missed out on becoming champion last weekend but new it was all but a formality this time around; the only way he would not be champion was if Mercedes teammate George Russell or Hamilton won the race. Even then, he needed only to come ninth if it was Russell and tenth if it was Hamilton.
Valtteri Bottas’ crash on lap 45 when its front suspension failed under braking for Turn One led initially to a safety car and then the race being stopped when it became clear how long it was going to take to repair he barriers.
When the race restarted, Leclerc locked his left front wheel heavily as Verstappen and Hamilton battled for the lead in front of him but Antonelli passed him at the start of the next lap.
Another safety car came with 12 laps remaining when Arvid Lindblad crashed his Racing Bulls after a collision with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri.
The race started with seven laps to go and Antonelli ran at the back of a three-car train with Verstappen and Hamilton with none of the three able to make any moves.
They crossed the line nose to tail, less than two seconds covering all three cars.
Hamilton rues race win that was snatched away
The incident between seven-time champion Hamilton and Leclerc will lead to an inquest at Ferrari.
Hamilton started on pole with Leclerc third behind Russell, but as the Mercedes dropped back Leclerc challenged Hamilton through Turns One, Two and Three.
The Briton was able to hold Leclerc off but at the Turn Four/Five chicane Leclerc dived around the outside before taking to the grass, cut the corner and emerged in the lead.
Hamilton went off defending, giving Verstappen the chance to move ahead into Turn Six.
Both Hamilton and Verstappen insisted Leclerc had to give up first place but he stayed in the lead and was given a five-second penalty.
Drivers are usually handed a ten-second penalty for an offence of this nature but stewards recognised that Hamilton had also gone off, meaning neither car was in a position to make the corner.
Hamilton will argue that Leclerc’s decision cost him and Ferrari victory with a potential one-two in the offing had they worked together on the first lap.
Elsewhere, Russell came a low sixth which included that Hamilton had also gone off so neither car was in a position to make the corner.
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