Kimi Antonelli became Formula One’s youngest world champion and Italy’s first since 1953 after finishing third behind multiple champions Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton in Sunday’s thrilling and crash-hit Mexico City Grand Prix.
The 20-year-old Italian drove his Mercedes to a 16th podium finish of the season, combining audacity and professionalism in a fiercely contested race that featured two safety cars and a red-flag stoppage.
“Thank you so much, we did it,” he said tearfully over the team radio on his slow-down lap, as his race engineer, Peter Bonnington, told him it was “a pleasure to be on the journey with you, but it’s just the first chapter”.
Antonelli soon regained his composure and, after thanking his family and Mercedes, added: “We did it. I am so grateful for this moment – and it is one I will live forever. I’m speechless, just trying to process what has happened.
“It’s
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