Kimi Antonelli F1 Title: Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli is set to write his name in the history books at the Mexico City Grand Prix on November 1 as the 20-year-old Italian looks in great shape to become the youngest world champion in F1 history despite battling back from a virus.
Antonelli has had an incredible 2026 season so far and has built up a big lead in the drivers’ championship. However, he did struggle in qualifying and is still in the race for the title.
Antonelli was unable to attend his media session on Thursday after falling ill with a virus. It has been reported that he suffered with a high temperature and stomach issues which meant he lacked energy going into one of the most important races of his career.
However, Antonelli performed well in Friday practice, finishing second in the first session and fourth in the second. On Saturday, he fell just 0.001 behind Lando Norris.
Antonelli headed into the Mexico GP weekend in a strong position in the drivers’ standings. He picked up more points after winning in Austin at the United States Grand Prix.
“I’m very excited. I would love to clinch the title in style with a great result,” Antonelli said after taking his ninth win of the season in Texas last week. “That’s the mindset. I’m just going to try to enjoy every moment because they’re moments that will always be remembered.”
According to title calculations for the race on Sunday, Antonelli can win the title if he finishes:
With only a 5-point gap between Hamilton, Russell and Leclerc in the top three spots in qualifying, the start of the race could be very important. However, Antonelli does not need to win to make history.
One of the main talking points at the Mexico Grand Prix is the chance for Antonelli to become the youngest Formula 1 world champion.
Currently, the record holder is Sebastian Vettel who won his first drivers’ title aged 23 in 2010. If Antonelli wins the 2026 title aged 20, he can break this.
If he wins the title, he will also become the first Italian driver to ever win the drivers’ title since Alberto Ascari in 1953.
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Although Antonelli is favourites for the title, Ferrari have looked quick. Charles Leclerc finished fastest in both Friday practice sessions. However, Hamilton claimed pole position in qualifying. This was an impressive result as it was his first pole for Ferrari and ends his three-year wait for pole.
George Russell finished second with Leclerc third. Verstappen finished fourth but received a penalty meaning Antonelli moved up to fourth.
Hamilton had a power failure in his earlier session but Ferrari were able to bounce back to put him at the front.
Ferrari will be looking to challenge Mercedes on race day. Antonelli will need to find a balance between scoring points but also staying out of trouble.
Mexico City Grand Prix is held at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez which sits around 2,240m above sea level.
“It’s going to be very interesting,” said Russell. “I think turbo lag is going to be a major factor for many teams this weekend. It’s no secret that teams like Ferrari use a smaller turbo than most, so they likely have a significant advantage in this regard.”
This makes the track difficult for teams as there is less air. This means engines, aerodynamics and cooling will struggle. Teams will need to be careful with their brake temperatures and drivers will struggle to get grip.
The Mexico City Grand Prix takes place on November 1, 2026. It is an important race in the F1 calendar and Antonelli will be hoping to turn his lead into a historic title win.
For Indian fans, the race may take place in the early hours of Monday, November 2nd.
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