Antonelli clinches F1 title as youngest champion

Kimi Antonelli clinched the 2026 Formula 1 drivers’ championship on November 1, finishing third in the Mexico City Grand Prix to become the sport’s youngest champion at 20 years and 68 days old. The Mercedes driver secured the title with four races remaining, breaking Sebastian Vettel’s record, set at 23 years and 134 days. Antonelli started fourth at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez and needed only ninth place to guarantee the championship. Max Verstappen won the race for Red Bull, with Lewis Hamilton second for Ferrari. Antonelli completed the podium, sealing his first title in his second season in Formula 1. The drivers’ crown is decided, but the constructors’ championship remains open. Mercedes leads Ferrari by 126 points before the São Paulo Grand Prix, scheduled for November 8. Reports say Mercedes can clinch the team title there by outscoring Ferrari by three points. Another account says Mercedes needs to earn four points at the race to guarantee the championship; the reports do not explain the difference in those calculations. Mercedes’ George Russell finished sixth in Mexico City. The team said his car failed to deploy power properly as he approached Turn 1 on the...