Kimi Antonelli, USA News: In Mexico, Kimi Antonelli secured the world title, yet a series of defining afternoons throughout the season explain his path to the championship. From China, where he claimed his maiden victory, to Monza, where he started nineteenth, drifted into the gravel while fighting for the lead, and fought back to win in front of his home crowd, and Austin, where his development shone, Antonelli became the youngest champion in Formula 1 history with nine wins, seven poles, and sixteen podiums in 19 Grands Prix. Behind those figures lies a season of a driver who learned both how to win and how to respond when challenges arose. His third-place finish at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez finalized the tally, building upon a margin he had constructed much earlier in the campaign.
The maiden victory in Shanghai followed his first Grand Prix pole position, where Antonelli triumphed ahead of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton. That success opened a streak of five consecutive victories. In Japan, he recovered from a poor start that dropped him to sixth place, utilizing a neutralisation strategy to win and exit Suzuka leading the standings. Miami brought pressure from Lando Norris, while Canada featured a battle between the Mercedes drivers and an engine failure for Russell, leaving Antonelli to win ahead of Hamilton and Verstappen. In Monaco, a late red flag regrouped the field, but Antonelli managed the restart to secure his fifth straight win across diverse circuits that demanded attacking, waiting, and defending.
After clinching the title in Mexico, Antonelli noted that he began believing in the championship early in the season due to a strong car. Monza delivered a historic triumph where a motor penalty sent him to the back of the grid. Benefiting from an early red flag and a Virtual Safety Car stop, Antonelli climbed through the field and engaged Russell for the lead. On lap 49, an attempt at the first chicane sent him into the gravel, but he recovered and executed a successful pass between Lesmo 2 and Ascari a lap later. Winning ahead of Russell and Verstappen, he became the first Italian to win his home Grand Prix since Ludovico Scarfiotti in 1966.
Before Italy, Belgium returned him to victory at Spa under pressure against Charles Leclerc, followed by a win in Madrid ahead of Verstappen and Norris. Austin brought his ninth victory and a demonstration of maturity after a difficult Friday practice, converting a pole position with a one-stop strategy ahead of Leclerc and Verstappen. Toto Wolff labeled that performance his best race to date, highlighting Antonelli’s ability to maximize team efforts from practice to the checkered flag.
