History beckons for Kimi Antonelli, who is set to become the youngest ever Formula One world champion at the Mexican Grand Prix this weekend.
The Mercedes driver has enjoyed an unbelievable season in 2026, winning nine races and leading the championship all the way from round three in Suzuka, Japan.
Antonelli will win the title if he finishes ninth or higher, regardless of the finishing positions of the two closest challengers, George Russell and Lewis Hamilton.
If neither Hamilton nor Russell win the race, Antonelli will become world champion even if he finishes outside the points.
"It would be best to finish on a high, and that's the goal," said Antonelli after his victory at the U.S. Grand Prix on Monday morning (AEDT).
With an *almost* guaranteed championship beckoning for the young Italian, what does this mean for Formula One?
If Antonelli delivers the title this weekend, he will become the youngest world champion (aged 20) in Formula One history, shattering the current record set by Sebastian Vettel in 2010 (aged 23).
For the past decade, F1 has been dominated by drivers such as Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc, who were born in the late 1990s, and veterans such as Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.
Antonelli winning the championship at 20 years of age crowns a new era for Formula One, as he will become the first driver born in the 2000s to win the title.
Following the departure of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton from the team, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff took a major gamble on Antonelli in 2025, handing him the senior Mercedes seat with only one year in Formula 2 and completely bypassing Formula 3.
Antonelli's rise has completely rewritten the traditional rulebook for up-and-coming F1 drivers, and will potentially encourage teams to take a gamble on highly talented drivers who might still lack experience in open-wheel racing.
By winning his first title at age 20, Antonelli sets himself up to potentially break every championship and longevity record in the sport's history.
A three-year head start on Hamilton's first championship victory and a five-year head start on Michael Schumacher's first title, the young Italian is certainly well positioned to reach new heights if Mercedes can continue their dominance in the near future.
By securing the 2026 championship, Antonelli will also become the first Italian driver to win the Formula One title since Alberto Ascari in 1953.
For a country so obsessed with racing, it is remarkable that the Italian people have had to wait so long to see a homegrown championship contender.
Michele Alboreto and Riccardo Patrese came close in 1985 and 1992; however, it finally seems to be Italy's time, with Antonelli set to wrap up the championship on Monday morning (AEDT) in Mexico City.
