Italy revels in 20-year-old Kimi Antonelli's Formula 1 supremacy

Rome — In the Italian town where Kimi Antonelli grew up, the celebrations were well underway Monday, even before the new Formula One World Champion's friends, family and neighbors knew when he might come back home to join them.

More than 500 people had gathered Sunday at a theater in Casalecchio to watch their hometown driver clinch the title in Mexico, the town's mayor told Italian news agency ANSA. A proper welcome awaits as soon as his racing schedule allows him to come home.

Antonelli became the youngest world champ in Formula One history on Sunday and the first Italian to claim the title since Alberto Ascari in 1953. 

Max Verstappen won the race, but Antonelli's third-place finish in the Mexico City Grand Prix was more than enough to secure him the championship in overall season ranking.

Pride quickly swelled beyond Casalecchio, which is near Bologna. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni hailed the 20-year-old as a source of national pride, while Italian tennis star Jannik Sinner joined other big names in sports to congratulate the young racer with social media posts.

While Italian F1 racing is synonymous with the Ferrari brand, its new champion drives for Mercedes. He shared Sunday's podium with Verstappen and Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time champion he replaced on the Mercedes team.

The city of Bologna was already preparing its own tribute on Monday. 

Mayor Matteo Lepore said Antonelli would receive the city's Nettuno d'Oro civic honor, and he praised the Italian racer's talent and determination for bringing home the world championship title after 73 years.

In Casalecchio, the connection is more personal. Mayor Matteo Ruggeri told ANSA that locals remember the Antonelli family's auto garage, and they remember seeing an even younger Kimi on his way to school and playing cards with his grandfather.