Lucrezia Ciotti At just 20 years old, Kimi Antonelli is the Formula 1 world champion , achieving a feat destined to go down in Italian sporting history. His third-place finish at the Mexican Grand Prix allows the Mercedes driver from Bologna to clinch the title with four races to spare, bringing the Italian championship back to the top step of the podium after 73 years.
A triumph filled with tears, emotion, and celebrations that ended a very long wait since the days of Alberto Ascari.
From initial difficulties to triumph: Kimi Antonelli's extraordinary season
The title victory comes at the end of a championship in which Antonelli managed to exceed all expectations, even leaving behind the doubts that emerged during his first experience in the top category.
After some initial difficulties and criticism related to his ability to adapt to a prestigious team like Mercedes, the Bolognese driver gradually found the right rhythm, improving race after race and demonstrating a maturity surprising for his age.
Among the most significant performances of the season was the one in Monza last September, when Antonelli managed to win from the back of the grid, also winning over the Ferrari fans.
His racing career began with ACI Team Italia, before joining the Mercedes Academy, which believed in his potential and guided him all the way to Formula 1. This achievement also sparked the enthusiasm of the president of the Automobile Club d'Italia, Geronimo La Russa, who was among the first to congratulate the new champion: " Italy is back. Today we're not just celebrating a champion: we're celebrating the end of a wait that's lasted too long ."
The comparison with Alberto Ascari takes on an even more special meaning: the champion of the past raced with cars that produced less than 200 horsepower and had very different safety standards than today. Antonelli, on the other hand, conquered the World Championship in the era of hybrid cars and advanced technology, with cars capable of approaching a thousand horsepower. Two generations far apart, united by the same goal: to bring Italy back to the top of Formula 1.
Kimi Antonelli, Formula 1 World Champion: Italy returns to winning ways after 73 years
Tears shed in the Mercedes cockpit, then hugs with his family, teammates, and opponents. Andrea Kimi Antonelli is the Formula 1 world champion at just 20 years old , bringing the drivers' title back to Italy after a 73-year wait . The last driver to achieve this feat was Alberto Ascari, who had won the World Championship in 1952 and 1953 at the wheel of a Ferrari. History was made at the Mexican Grand Prix, where the young talent from Bologna scored the points needed to mathematically secure the title with four races remaining. Antonelli crossed the finish line in third place, behind Max Verstappen, winner of the race for Red Bull, and Lewis Hamilton in the Ferrari. The other Ferrari, Charles Leclerc, finished fourth. Once the race was over, the 20-year-old couldn't contain his emotion, kicking off the celebrations alongside the entire Mercedes team and the two champions who accompanied him to the podium.
" We did it. I wouldn't be here without Mercedes and my family, I'm grateful to them ," he said immediately after the race. He then added: " It's been an incredible season, just as it's incredible and crazy to share the podium with champions like Hamilton and Verstappen. Thank you so much, Mexico ." The driver also said he felt a particular tension during the weekend: " I'm so happy to have achieved it and to be able to enjoy the rest of the season ." A success that represents a historic step for Italian motorsport and gives Antonelli a special place in Formula 1 history.