F1's youngest champion Antonelli hailed by paddock greats

MEXICO CITY: Kimi Antonelli sparked affectionate tributes from all quarters of the Formula One paddock on Sunday after becoming the sport's youngest world champion at the Mexico City Grand Prix.

The 20-year-old Italian finished third for Mercedes behind Red Bull's four-time champion Max Verstappen and Ferrari's seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton – who then hoist him aloft as a carnival of celebrations began.

"It's a very special day," said Antonelli's esteemed race engineer Peter 'Bono' Bonnington, who has worked with seven-time champion Michael Schumacher and Hamilton and regards the new champion – Italy's first since 1953 – as another generational talent.

"A young man has broken the record for the youngest world champion. It is the first of many I reckon. I am just super happy for him, stoked.

"I feel privileged to work with him and to put up with his pranks and tricks including the water pistols and the rest. It's him all over. This is just the first chapter and tonight we are flying home and we are going to have a plane party."

Antonelli echoed those views and said he felt it was "truly incredible" to share the podium with multiple champions Verstappen and Hamilton.

"I'm looking forward to more battles with them in the future," he said. "This is just the beginning. This win is just going to mark a beginning, a new point to build on and keep improving and keep trying to win a championship."

His father Marco Antonelli, who runs his own racing team, said, "This is the best thank you that Kimi can give to Mercedes for believing in him. It's unbelievable. I will realise in the next day what Kimi has done."

Hamilton, who tipped Antonelli to be his Mercedes successor when he left for Ferrari in 2025, said: "Huge congratulations to Kimi and Mercedes. It's so great to see them all up here celebrating.

"Youngest world champion ever is pretty phenomenal and I'm so very grateful to be in this race and to witness it. He has had a great season and he has handled everything so well with so much grace and humility."

Verstappen added: "It's incredible what a season he has had. To do this at such an age I think is just really impressive and it is amazing to see the whole team celebrating with him.

"His family is here as well so I'm sure this is a very emotional day for him and I'm very proud of him."

'Insane this year'

Outgoing world champion Lando Norris of McLaren said: "Just a massive congrats to him. I mean he deserves it. He has been insane this year. That's an understatement. Congrats to him, especially at his age. Twenty is incredibly impressive.

"He deserves it an incredible amount. I hope even though he's young, he goes out and celebrates it. He's had an outstanding season so just very happy for him."

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff brought Antonelli to Mercedes aged 11 after Ferrari had turned him down.

"When Lewis told me he was going to Ferrari, it was my immediate reaction to put him in the car. We had sponsors leaving us for that decision. Who is this kid?" Wolff recalled.

"It was a difficult year, but the others have got the full reward. A difficult year and now – this. I'm so proud of the team for their trust and that we delivered.

"And he's just a kid still. In the team, there are all these stiff and unemotional English people and then in comes this Italian boy who hugs everybody and he changes the environment and now all the Brits are hugging each other.

"And he's still a kid, just 20 years old. It's so great to see. He does the meetings and then he goes to the water park with his friends." - AFP