Kimi Antonelli achieves his F1 ‘dream’ with Drivers’ Championship
As the sun was beginning to rise at the Circuit of the Americas on Sunday morning one week ago, a solitary sportswriter was taking a lonely walk along pit lane ahead of the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix. During that walk, the LED screen that rises over the track, ahead of the steep climb […]
On Sunday morning at the Circuit of the Americas, the LED screen over the track flashed a message: "Kimi Antonelli, 2026 FIA Formula 1 World Champion." While it was not enough to secure the title, this message proved to be true later on. Kimi Antonelli, a young Mercedes phenom, arrived in Mexico City with a title on the verge and secured the championship title at the Mexico City Grand Prix.
Despite missing media day due to illness, Antonelli started the race in P4, alongside Charles Leclerc and George Russell. He carefully navigated the race, taking advantage of a safety car to secure a pit stop. His performance led him to finish in P4, just 12 seconds behind Hamilton. However, the narrative took a dramatic turn when a safety car was deployed due to an incident involving Valtteri Bottas.
Antonelli seized the opportunity to overtake Leclerc, moving into third position. A subsequent safety car restart led to a nine-lap sprint to the finish line, with Verstappen holding onto the lead and Hamilton close behind. Antonelli's strategic pit stop secured his position in third place. As the race concluded, Antonelli joined a select group of F1 Drivers' Champions, including Giuseppe "Nino" Farina and Alberto Ascari, marking a historic achievement for the sport.
Written by urgent.news from SB Nation's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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