Kimi Antonelli: How F1’s youngest-ever champion matured to conquer the world

His third-place finish was more than enough to ensure that, quite remarkably, he became Italy's first title winner since Alberto Ascari in 1953. Antonelli was joined on the podium by race winner Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, where the fellow champions hoisted the 20-year-old onto their shoulders to welcome the latest member to F1's most exclusive club.

The reality of what he had just achieved had arguably still not sunk in for Antonelli as he calmly and assuredly, with another tear in the eye along the way, delivered his answers to the press.

Arguably, the most pertinent was when Antonelli was asked how much his title push this year had been motivated by those who felt he was not ready for F1 last season, as he struggled through a torturous European campaign which saw him score a miserable three points from nine Grands Prix.

The voices were loud, the words harsh, to such an extent that even Antonelli began to doubt himself. One moment in particular made you appreciate that he was still young, only 19 last year, trying to cope under the harshest of spotlights. That came in Belgium, where Antonelli had remarkably been dumped out of Q1 and was due to line up 18^th on the grid. An interview soon after saw him close to tears, conceding that he was trying to find a light at the end of the tunnel.

A month later, after the summer break, Antonelli collided with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, sending the Monégasque spinning out of the race at Zandvoort and leading to one of F1's harshest critics, 1997 Champion Jacques Villeneuve, to declare the move as something he would expect to see in Formula 4 or Formula 3. He further suggested that maybe F1 had become "too much" for Antonelli.

Mercedes, though, were not prepared to throw in the towel on their young star, who finished a relatively disappointing seventh in the Drivers' Championship.

So, this season — a commanding one which has incorporated nine wins, including the astonishing run of five in a row early on — has seen him entrench himself in a position from which none of his rivals could mount a challenge. Come his coronation in Mexico City, Antonelli remembered the words last year of those who said he was not cut out for F1.

"It's always good to shut off some of the noise, and, of course, in many ways it does help to add fuel to the fire, the fact that some people said that I didn't belong in Formula 1 or I wasn't ready for it. Which, at some point last year, probably looked like that. I wasn't ready for it."

There then followed the kind of words reserved for an old head on young shoulders, adding: "But I think last year, being able to experience those moments made me much more ready as well ahead of this year.

"I think experiencing really low and difficult situations, high-pressure moments, really helped me to face certain situations this year, and definitely they made me mature a lot as a driver and as a person.

"Still this year, I've had moments where I could have done better, a lot better, but it's a constant learning process. But I think, last year, being able to race straight into Mercedes, straight under the spotlight, made me grow much, much faster than if I had gone to a smaller team, for example."

If that is the mark of Antonelli now, at the age of 20 claiming the honour of the youngest title winner, more than three years earlier than the previous record holder, Sebastian Vettel, then it is a measure of the baby-faced boy fast becoming a man.

Naturally, after winning the title, plaudits flowed from all corners. You would be hard-pressed to find any of his rivals able to utter an unkind word about Antonelli, such is his warm demeanour off track, allied to his undeniable ability on it.

Perhaps the one that resonated the most came from Vettel, in a video address he posted on Instagram, as he passed the baton of youngest Champion from himself to Antonelli.

"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," said Vettel.

It was the perfect description of how Antonelli has performed this season.

Hamilton, who, during his time at Mercedes watched Antonelli grow in the background, and at times has taken him under his wing over the past two years despite himself being at Ferrari, described what the young Italian has achieved as "faultless", particularly after coming through a "tough, challenging year last year".

"Records are there to be broken," said Hamilton. "I love that he is the youngest champion. It's phenomenal what he's done at such a young age. He's just got such a bright future ahead of him. So I'm grateful that I can be racing in the time to see it."

Naturally, Verstappen was equally as effusive. "At his age, to be so solid, not make big mistakes, beating his experienced teammate, he's just driven incredibly," he said. 

"I'm very proud of him, how he has handled himself this whole season. It's not always easy to deliver every single weekend, but he has done that, and he's the deserved champion this year."

Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff could not hide his pleasure at a level of vindication in taking "a calculated risk" with Antonelli after facing criticism of his own for promoting him into the seat vacated by Hamilton. Wolff confirmed that two sponsors left the team, questioning, 'Who is this kid?'. They will now more than likely be sharing humble pie.

As for his team, he expressed pride in the fact that they continued to trust Antonelli, and he has now repaid that faith.

Whilst there is no question Antonelli has proven himself a generational talent, it cannot be taken for granted that he will now go on to dominate this new regulatory era until the expected return of the V8s, with a degree of hybridisation and a turbo, in 2030.

Antonelli, refusing to get carried away, is fully aware of what might lie ahead, and for now, he should enjoy this success for what it is, even going into the last four races and the possibility of facing a resurgent George Russell, free from the pain in which he knows he has not delivered when so much was expected of him.

"On my side, it's about keeping focused on myself, keep trying to raise the bar, keep improving, keep developing, because I think it's not going to be only a matter of George at the end of this season, but I think also for next season," said Antonelli.

"And then there's Red Bull, especially with Max, Ferrari and McLaren. Eventually, we're all going to be up there, and it's going to be a tight fight. So, it's going to be important to be on top of the game, not only against my teammate but against all the others." 

Main image courtesy of Clive Mason via Getty Images.