November 14: Kimi Antonelli is Formula 1’s youngest world champion. The 20-year-old Mercedes driver sealed the 2026 title with four races to spare, taking third place at the Mexico City Grand Prix on November 1, and Mercedes left the São Paulo Grand Prix on November 8, won by McLaren’s Lando Norris, 142 points clear in the constructors’ standings. Three rounds remain: Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
Key highlights
- Champion: Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), 390 points, the youngest world champion in F1 history.
- Where he clinched it: Mexico City, November 1, with a third-place finish and four races left.
- Constructors: Mercedes 652 points, 142 ahead of Ferrari with three rounds to go.
- São Paulo winner: Lando Norris (McLaren), ahead of Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar.
- Next race: Las Vegas, November 19–21.
São Paulo Grand Prix, November 8: top 10
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 25 |
| 2 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 18 |
| 3 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull Racing | 15 |
| 4 | George Russell | Mercedes | 12 |
| 5 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 10 |
| 6 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 8 |
| 7 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 6 |
| 8 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 4 |
| 9 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 2 |
| 10 | Nico Hülkenberg | Audi | 1 |
Norris won in 1 hour 35 minutes 23.504 seconds, 14.602 seconds ahead of Verstappen. Antonelli and Oliver Bearman were each given five-second penalties for unsafe releases from the pits, and Leclerc a five-second penalty for causing a collision.
Drivers’ championship
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 390 |
| 2 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 279 |
| 3 | George Russell | Mercedes | 262 |
| 4 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 261 |
| 5 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 249 |
| 6 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 246 |
A record season
Formula 1 describes Antonelli as the youngest world champion in the sport’s history. The previous record belonged to Sebastian Vettel, who was 23 when he won his first title in 2010. Antonelli’s season also included a win at Monza, which made him Italy’s first home winner there in 60 years, according to Formula 1.
Our calculation
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Antonelli’s lead over Verstappen | 111 points |
| Mercedes’ lead over Ferrari | 142 points |
| Rounds in the 2026 season | 23 |
What it means for India and Asia
Two of the season’s last three races are in West Asia, in Qatar on November 27–29 and Abu Dhabi on December 4–6,. For fans across Asia, the title fight is over, but the fight for second place is not: Verstappen, Russell, Hamilton, Leclerc and Norris are separated by just 33 points.
What to watch
- The Las Vegas Grand Prix, November 19–21.
- The battle for second place in the drivers’ championship.
- Whether Mercedes confirm the constructors’ title, and the fight between Ferrari, Red Bull and McLaren for second.
Kimi Antonelli during practice at the 2025 Singapore Grand Prix. Image: Liauzh, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Photo source · Licence
Sources
- Formula 1: São Paulo Grand Prix 2026, race result
- Formula 1: 2026 driver standings
- Formula 1: 2026 team standings
- Formula 1: 2026 race calendar
- Formula 1: Key moments of Antonelli’s title campaign
The Sports Desk covers cricket, the Asian Games and Indian and international sport. Stories are checked against at least two credible sources before publication.
