Kimi Antonelli just proved 98% of F1 Oversteer’s readers wrong by winning the 2026 title

Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli won the 2026 Formula 1 World Drivers' Championship after finishing third at the Mexico City Grand Prix. Antonelli needed only two points to secure the title with four rounds remaining in the season. At 20 years, two months, and eight days old, the Italian became the youngest-ever Formula 1 champion, breaking the record previously set by Sebastian Vettel in 2010.

Antonelli's championship victory defied pre-season expectations, with only 1.95 percent of F1 Oversteer readers backing him in a poll of over 6,000 voters. Pre-season favorites included Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, and Antonelli's Mercedes teammate George Russell. The article notes that Antonelli adapted better to the 2026 technical regulations than Russell, helping him become Italy's first F1 champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953.