Kimi Antonelli has secured his first Formula 1 Drivers' Championship, becoming the youngest title winner in the sport's history. The Italian clinched the crown with a third-place finish in Mexico City, sealing the deal with several weeks of the 2026 season still to run.
Antonelli was already on the verge of glory before the race on Sunday. He did not need to win to confirm his status as the youngest ever F1 champion, barely two months after his 20th birthday. The achievement places him among the 36 men to have won the drivers' title.
How the champions were ranked
Ranking all 36 champions requires weighing several qualities. The number of titles is an obvious factor, with multiple winners generally ranked above those who won only once. But other elements also play a role, including performances in seasons when the driver did not win the title, career longevity, and the ability to maintain a consistently high standard throughout.
Express Sport has produced a full ranking of all 36 F1 champions, with Lewis Hamilton placed second and Nico Rosberg 26th.
Bottom of the list
Mike Hawthorn ranks 36th, having claimed just one title and a handful of race wins before his death shortly after retiring. Denny Hulme, New Zealand's only world champion, is 35th after winning in 1967 without qualifying on pole position in a single race that season.
John Surtees, who moved to F1 after a successful motorcycle career, is 34th, having taken his sole title by a narrow margin. Jenson Button is 33rd, with his 2009 triumph coming after winning six of the 17 Grands Prix available, plus a second and third in the standings either side. Jody Scheckter, South Africa's only champion, is 32nd, another one-and-done winner who secured several other high championship finishes.
