Italian Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli, aged 20 years and 68 days, became the youngest Formula 1 world champion. He secured the title early after finishing third at the Mexican Grand Prix on November 1, breaking Sebastian Vettel’s record. Reuters reports, UNN writes.
Details
Antonelli became the first Italian in 73 years to win the Formula 1 championship. The last representative of Italy to claim the title did so in 1953.
To become champion early, the Mercedes driver only needed to finish ninth. However, he finished third, increasing his lead in the overall standings to an unassailable 119 points.
Emotional finish and a record that stood for 16 years
Max Verstappen of Red Bull won the Mexican Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari, who started from pole position, finished second.
The race proved tense: there were several crashes, two safety-car deployments, and a 33-minute stoppage due to a red flag.
After crossing the finish line, Antonelli could not hold back his tears. His race engineer, Peter Bonnington, congratulated the driver with the words: "Kimi, you are the world champion."
We did it, thank you very much
After the race, the young champion was met by his parents, sister, and the Mercedes team.
The previous record belonged to Sebastian Vettel, who became world champion in 2010 at the age of 23 years and 134 days, racing for Red Bull.
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