Kimi Antonelli is 2 points from the F1 title at 20

Kimi Antonelli is 2 points from the Formula One world title, and he is 20 years old.

On Sunday he won the United States Grand Prix in Austin from pole. It was his 9th win of the season, and it turned the championship into a countdown.

The maths

Antonelli has 365 points. His Mercedes teammate George Russell has 242 and Lewis Hamilton has 241. That is a lead of 123 with 5 races and 125 points left.

So the rule for Mexico City is simple. If Antonelli finishes 9th or better, nobody can catch him. A retirement or a bad afternoon would only delay it, and he would need very little from the last four races.

The record

A title in Mexico would make him the youngest champion in the sport's history. The record belongs to Sebastian Vettel, who was 23 when he won in 2010. Antonelli was born on 25 August 2006, which means he would take the record by a wide margin.

The subplot

In 2025, Mercedes gave Lewis Hamilton's seat to an 18-year-old. Hamilton moved to Ferrari to chase another title. Two seasons later, the driver who replaced him is about to win the title Hamilton wanted, while Hamilton sits third in the standings, a point behind Russell.

Choosing a teenager over Hamilton was the kind of call that gets second-guessed for years. Mercedes made it anyway, trusting what they had seen in Antonelli's junior years. This season has answered the question faster than anyone expected.

For Russell, the picture is harder. He is the more experienced Mercedes driver, and he is about to be beaten to the title by a teammate who arrived in his second car.

Mexico City has not been an easy track for young drivers, with its thin air and long run to the first corner. Antonelli does not need to win there. He needs to stay out of trouble and bring the car home in the points.

Ninth place in Mexico City. That is all Antonelli needs.