It took until November 1, 2026, in Mexico City, but 20-year-old Kimi Antonelli finally shattered Italy's agonizing 73-year title drought in Formula 1.
To put that staggering wait into perspective, the last Italians to conquer the racing world belonged to a completely different era of the sport. You have to look all the way back to the opening years of the Formula 1 World Championship, when the patrician Dr Giuseppe Farina took the crown in 1950, followed immediately by the great Alberto Ascari taking back-to-back titles in 1952 and 1953.
That is an awful long time between dances for a nation so deeply woven into the fabric of motorsport. But Antonelli didn't just end a drought; he did it with a breathtaking trajectory, capturing the crown in only his second season in Formula 1.
By pulling off that feat, the young Italian stepped straight into a remarkably exclusive club. Before him, only Juan Manuel Fangio, Jacques Villeneuve, and Lewis Hamilton had ever managed to win the championship in just their sophomore campaign.
Now, the record books have been rewritten, and a new Italian star stands right alongside the absolute giants of the sport.
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