MEXICO CITY, Oct 29 — Kimi Antonelli will take his place in Formula One’s record books as the youngest champion and Italy’s first since 1953, barring a wild swing of unexpected misfortunes amid a fiesta atmosphere at this weekend’s Mexico City Grand Prix.
The runaway leader of the drivers’ championship needs to finish ninth or better in his Mercedes to take the title aged 20 years and 68 days, lowering the record held by Sebastian Vettel by more than three years.
Almost more remarkably, he will also succeed Italy’s last champion Alberto Ascari, who won for Ferrari in 1953, after a gap of 73 years during which his country has become synonymous with Formula One.
After winning the United States Grand Prix last Sunday, his two remaining title rivals team-mate George Russell and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton are 123 and 124 points adrift respectively and can only prevent the seemingly inevitable by winning and hoping Antonelli finishes 10th or worse.
