Mercedes' driver Kimi Antonelli is on the verge of making Formula 1 history on Monday, as the italian could become the youngest-ever Formula 1 world champion at the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix, with the Italian needing just two more points to secure his maiden Drivers' Championship.
Antonelli strengthened his position at the top of the standings with a victory at the United States Grand Prix in Austin.
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The 20-year-old now has 365 points, 123 more than his closest challenger and Mercedes teammate George Russell, who has 242. Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton is third with 241 points.
With the Mexico City Grand Prix marking the 19th round of the season, five races remain on the calendar. A maximum of 125 points are still available, including the Mexico City race. Once Sunday's Grand Prix is over, only 100 points will remain to be contested across the final four rounds.
That leaves Antonelli well positioned to seal the championship in Mexico. But the outcome will also depend on how Russell and Hamilton perform at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City.
The Italian could also go down in history as the youngest world champion of Formula 1, beating Sebastian Vettel 's record.
Vettel won his first championship in 2010 at the age of 23 years, 134 days.
F1 2026 Drivers' Championship Standings Before Mexico GP
| Position | Driver | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 365 |
| 2 | George Russell | Mercedes | 242 |
| 3 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 241 |
Antonelli holds a 123-point advantage over Russell and a 124-point lead over Hamilton. Both drivers are the only remaining mathematical challengers to the Mercedes youngster.
How Can Kimi Antonelli Win The F1 2026 World Championship In Mexico?
Antonelli has three main routes to securing the title in Mexico. The simplest one is to finish inside the top nine, irrespective of where Russell and Hamilton finish.
A ninth-place finish will earn him two points, which will take his tally to 367. So, even if Russell wins the race and collects the maximum 25 points, he will be unable to catch Antonelli with only four races remaining.
Here are all the permutations for Antonelli to become the 2026 Formula 1 world champion in Mexico:
Scenario 1: Antonelli Finishes Ninth Or Higher
This is the most straightforward route for the Mercedes driver.
If Antonelli finishes ninth or higher, he will become world champion regardless of Russell and Hamilton's results.
A ninth-place finish earns two points, which will be enough to mathematically secure the championship even if Russell wins the Mexico City Grand Prix.
Scenario 2: Antonelli Finishes 10th
If Antonelli finishes 10th, he will earn one point. However, his championship fate will depend on Russell's result.
If Russell fails to win the race, Antonelli will be crowned world champion.
This also applies if Hamilton wins the Grand Prix, provided Russell does not take victory.
However, if Russell wins and Antonelli finishes 10th, the championship battle will continue into the next round in Brazil.
Scenario 3: Neither Russell Nor Hamilton Wins The Race
Antonelli does not necessarily need to score points to become world champion.
If neither Russell nor Hamilton wins the Mexico City Grand Prix, the Mercedes driver will secure the title regardless of his finishing position.
This means even a retirement or a finish outside the points will not prevent him from becoming champion, provided neither of his two remaining challengers wins the race.
What If Kimi Antonelli Does Not Win The Title In Mexico?
If Antonelli fails to clinch the championship in Mexico, the title battle will move to the Sao Paulo Grand Prix in Brazil.
The Italian will still have a significant advantage over Russell and Hamilton, with four races remaining after Mexico.
A maximum of 100 points will be available across the final four rounds, meaning Russell and Hamilton will need a near-perfect finish to overturn the deficit.
When Is The F1 Mexico City Grand Prix?
The 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix will take place on Monday, November 2 (IST), at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City.
The race is scheduled to begin at 2:00 a.m. Indian Standard Time on Monday, November 2.
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