Kimi Antonelli has been crowned Formula One world champion at the age of 20 years and 68 days, making him the youngest driver in the sport's history to win the title. The Mercedes driver's achievement broke the previous record held by Sebastian Vettel, who was 23 years and 134 days old when he secured the 2010 championship.
Vettel, who had himself shaved 166 days off the record set by Lewis Hamilton two years earlier, was among the first to congratulate Antonelli. In a heartfelt message, Vettel praised the Italian's qualities and offered advice drawn from his own experience.
Vettel's Message of Praise
"Kimi, congratulations. World champion, campione del mondo. Wow," Vettel said. "Only very few of us manage to achieve that, and nobody has done it as young as you. You are curious, you listen, you learn fast, you are fearless, your driving has been very clean and controlled, yet on the limit when it needed to be. You understood that you can only control what you can control. You have a unique drive, and we enjoy watching you."
Vettel continued, drawing on his own first title win to warn Antonelli of what lies ahead. "When I won my first title, it all seemed to happen the moment I crossed the finish line. I was overwhelmed. I got out of the car and the world around me was racing at full speed. It was like a rush. It was impossible to reflect. I didn't sleep properly for days, so be prepared."
Advice for the Future
Vettel recalled the feeling once the achievement sank in, holding the world championship trophy and reading the names of other champions. "I felt proud and satisfied," he said. "I realised the best part wasn't crossing the line that decided the title – it was all the races that led up to it. It's never the one race that matters, it's all the races we do. Every race shapes us. And with all that's about to happen in the coming weeks, I'm sure you will soon feel the drive to race again. As, in the bigger picture, there's still a race to win."
Vettel ended his message with a piece of advice: "Great achievements might change the way people look at you, but you don't have to change the way you look at people. Now go on and enjoy it. Un abbraccio forte [a big hug], Sebastian. Ciao."
Antonelli's Emotional Reaction
Antonelli was in tears from the moment he took the chequered flag, with a podium finish in Mexico sealing the title. After climbing out of his Mercedes, he said: "[It's] a moment that means so much. It's a day I will remember forever. Thank you so much to my team, my family, my friends, and all of you guys that support me and the sport. I'm just so grateful. Very early on, we had such a strong car, and we were very consistent and put in the performance. I thought that we could have had a shot this year, and I'm really happy that we managed to clinch it all."
He added: "It's starting to get real and I'm going to enjoy every bit of it. I'm going to go all out with my family, friends, and the team and we're just going to enjoy it all the way, because this is a very special moment, one that we'll remember forever."
