Andrea Kimi Antonelli, F1 world champion at just 20 – has this special AKA done too much too young? You have to hope there is plenty more to come from the Italian, but if he needed a reminder of how much talent is around him on the grid he had only to look at the other men on the podium in Mexico City last weekend: the race winner, Max Verstappen, and the runner-up, Lewis Hamilton, have 11 world championships between them.
While Mercedes have won a majority of the races – Antonelli (nine) and George Russell (three) have stood on the top step 12 times out of 19 – Verstappen has won three of the past four races for Red Bull. McLaren have two victories from Lando Norris, the deposed world champion. And Ferrari have … one. More of that later.
Even as Antonelli got over the line in Mexico City, his Mercedes was one of four different marques in the top five places. What remains of 2026 can offer pointers for 2027, for teams and drivers.
So there are plenty of reasons to join me from 5.30pm GMT for the buildup to qualifying for what is now called the São Paulo Grand Prix. In the meantime, here’s Giles Richards look back at how Antonelli made history
