Kimi Antonelli becomes Formula 1's youngest champion at 20

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 1 Nov, 23:07 · Archive

Italian driver Kimi Antonelli, 20, has won the Formula 1 championship after finishing third in the Mexico City Grand Prix on Sunday.

Kimi Antonelli has become Formula 1's youngest-ever champion at 20 years old after finishing third in the Mexico City Grand Prix on Sunday, securing enough points to win the title. The Italian driver races for Mercedes, where he replaced Lewis Hamilton following the seven-time champion's departure to Ferrari.

Antonelli's entry into Formula 1 was unconventional. At seven years old, while his father Marco, a sportscar racer, was involved in a support race at the 2014 German Grand Prix, young Kimi wanted access to the paddock but had no official way in. He hid inside a stack of tires to gain entry. 'I don't even know how I fit inside the tire, but it was really tight,' Antonelli said. 'Plus, we put an umbrella on top so it wouldn't look, you know, suspicious or anything.' He made his F1 debut last year.

Throughout his career, Antonelli has been compared to the sport's greats. Mercedes positioned him as their answer to Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who made his F1 debut at 17, and he was seen as a contender to break Sebastian Vettel's record as the sport's youngest champion.

How it is being reported

• How Kimi Antonelli went from a kid hiding in a stack of tires to F1's youngest championEver since he got into the Formula 1 paddock hidden in a stack of tires, Kimi Antonelli has done things his own way.News4Jax · 1 Nov, 22:45
• How Kimi Antonelli went from a kid hiding in a stack of tires to F1's youngest championEver since he got into the Formula 1 paddock hidden in a stack of tires, Kimi Antonelli has done things his own way.Clickorlando · 1 Nov, 22:45

In this story: Kimi Antonelli · Mercedes · Lewis Hamilton · Ferrari · Max Verstappen · Toto Wolff · Mexico City

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