Sainz, Albon and Bortoleto assess Antonelli’s title-winning season

F1 / NEWS & CONTEXTNEWS & CONTEXT

Archive photograph: Carlos Sainz · 2026-09-02Archive photo · 2026-09-02 · LucaFazPhoto · CC BY-SA 4.0

Antonelli clinched the 2026 title with third place in Mexico City, four races before the season ended. Sainz described a dominant first half and controlled second; Albon highlighted Antonelli’s race pace but said the car probably played a part, while Bortoleto praised his consistency under pressure.

From the GPBeat newsroomPublished · 05 Nov 2026, 04:03 · 1 min

At 20 years and 68 days old, Kimi Antonelli became Formula 1’s youngest world champion, clinching the 2026 title with third place at the Mexico City Grand Prix and four races remaining.

After the race, fellow drivers focused on different parts of the campaign. Carlos Sainz divided the season into two phases: in Sainz’s assessment, Antonelli dominated the first half and controlled the second. Sainz said that was what a world champion had to do.

Alex Albon identified race pace as a key difference between Antonelli and the rest of the grid, while adding that the car probably contributed too.

Gabriel Bortoleto drew on his own F2 and F3 title fights, saying he knew how tense a championship battle could be. He imagined Antonelli facing experienced names such as George Russell, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, and praised his consistency. Bortoleto said he had known Antonelli since he himself was about 10 or 11 and hopes the pair will fight for titles in the future.

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