Vettel congratulates Antonelli as youngest F1 world champion

Sebastian Vettel has congratulated Andrea Kimi Antonelli on becoming the youngest Formula 1 world champion, after the Mercedes driver broke the record Vettel set when he won his first title with Red Bull in 2010.

Antonelli was 20 years and 68 days old when he clinched the 2026 drivers' crown with a third-place finish at the Mexico City Grand Prix, with four races remaining. He is also the first Italian world champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953. In a video message released on behalf of F1, Vettel praised Antonelli's clean and controlled driving and his willingness to learn, and said the best part of winning a title is the races that lead up to it.

Vettel also offered Antonelli some advice on handling the attention that comes with the title: "great achievements might change the way people look at you, but you don't have to change the way you look at people."