Kimi Antonelli's first words after becoming F1 world champion

Kimi Antonelli secured his first Formula 1 World Championship with a third-place finish at the Mexico Grand Prix, at the age of 20.

The Italian driver started the Grand Prix from fourth place, and it was almost guaranteed that the Mercedes driver would win the title, and a solid drive was able to secure it for him.

With the drama in front of him between the Ferraris and Max Verstappen, Antonelli just took his time and eventually was able to secure third place, and with it, the Formula 1 title.

Immediately after the Grand Prix, Antonelli discussed the feeling of securing the title and becoming the youngest-ever F1 champion.

Antonelli said, "Yeah, we did it. We did it! And without them, I wouldn't be here, without Mercedes, without my family. So, I'm very grateful for this moment, and it's one that will live forever. I'm speechless. I'm trying to process what just happened."

The Italian driver shared the podium with Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, something that Antonelli stated was ‘truly incredible’.

He said, “It's been an incredible season, and to share this podium with Max and Lewis is truly incredible, and I’m looking forward to some more battles in the future."

Throughout the season, Antonelli has claimed that he was not nervous and that he was not thinking about the title. However, before the weekend, he finally admitted that he was tense as he was suffering from illness ahead of the Grand Prix.

The new World Champion once again admitted that he was feeling ‘a bit more tense’, but now with four races left in 2026, he can ‘enjoy’ the rest of the year.

“This weekend I did feel a bit more tense, but I'm just so happy and happy that we got it done, and then we can now we can enjoy the rest of the season."