Kimi Antonelli has etched his name into motorsport history by becoming the youngest world champion in Formula One history at the age of 20. The Italian driver secured the drivers’ title with a third-place finish at the Mexican Grand Prix, capping off a remarkable season during which he claimed nine race victories. “The guy is 28 years old, so I don’t think it’s an age thing.
The celebration on the podium, shared with race winner Max Verstappen and runner-up Lewis Hamilton, was punctuated by a deeply personal moment for Antonelli. As the aria Nessun Dorma played during the ceremony, the driver was visibly overcome with emotion. He later explained that the song was a favorite of his late grandfather, noting that hearing it felt like a special connection to him. Antonelli openly acknowledged his tearful reaction, stating he had cried too much throughout the day but felt immense happiness. Alone on the front of the podium after the award ceremony, Antonelli was clearly affected as the PA played Nessun Dorma from Puccini’s Turandot. “It was very emotional for me because it was a song that my grandfather used to listen to always, so it was very special to hear that,” he said, before having to stop speaking because he was once more in tears. Having composed himself he continued. “I think he would be very proud,” he said. “Oh my God, I’ve cried way too much today but it’s good. Verstappen and Hamilton lifted Antonelli onto their shoulders on the podium to accept the roaring approval of the crowd. “I still don’t understand how we can lose this race,” he said. “I will have a discussion with my guys, but it’s very difficult in terms of respect for us, for the team, for the job done at home by the guys.”.
Reflecting on the achievement, Antonelli called it a moment he and his team would remember forever. His race engineer, Peter Bonnington, viewed the milestone as merely the beginning, describing the championship as the first chapter of a long journey ahead. Fellow drivers were quick to offer their admiration for the newcomer’s rapid ascent.
Defending champion Lando Norris praised Antonelli’s exceptional performance, noting that people often underestimated the difficulty of his achievement. Norris emphasized that Antonelli had beaten a highly experienced teammate and made a challenging season look effortless, ultimately proving his quality by consistently dominating his competition. His achievement was perhaps not appreciated, Norris suggested, because the Italian had been so good he had made it look easy. “[Yes] 100% he’s made it look like an easy year.
Max Verstappen, a four-time champion, also lauded the youngster’s composure. He highlighted Antonelli’s ability to drive with minimal mistakes, stating that his consistency throughout the season was an impressive feat for someone in only his second year in the sport. Lewis Hamilton, who has known Antonelli since the Italian joined the Mercedes junior program at age 12, expressed pride in seeing the young driver transition from a fan in the garage to a championship winner replacing him at the team. The young driver endearingly wears his heart on his sleeve and had looked barely able to take it all in. Who first encountered Antonelli when he was taken on as a Mercedes junior aged 12. “To see a youngster such as Kimi come through from being the little kid standing in the back of t, those feelings were echoed by Hamilton. So, it’s a shame to see us lose this, as we did.
Despite the celebratory atmosphere surrounding the new champion, friction emerged within the Ferrari camp. Lewis Hamilton expressed sharp criticism regarding his teammate, Charles Leclerc, following an opening-lap incident where Leclerc’s aggressive maneuver cost the team a potential one-two finish. Hamilton argued that the move reflected an individualistic, win-at-all-costs mentality that undermines team strategy, particularly given their lack of established rules of engagement. When asked about it afterwards he revealed it had been a particularly moving moment. He was given an encouraging round of applause by the attendant media. Either I win or none of us do’ and it shouldn’t be that,” he said. “We have to work as a team, which we could have easily done today.
Hamilton insisted that Ferrari must hold serious discussions to prevent similar issues in the future, stating that the current approach is unsustainable.
He clarified that the issue was about mindset rather than age, stressing the need for improved cooperation.
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur mirrored this frustration, describing the incident as a failure to respect the collective effort of the team and the staff working behind the scenes. Vasseur confirmed that he would be having a direct conversation with his drivers to address these concerns. If a real deep, serious conversation is had, that will just continue unless action is taken.
