Sebastian Vettel says he would be delighted to see Kimi Antonelli break his record as Formula 1’s youngest-ever world champion, with the Mercedes driver moving closer to the historic milestone after another victory in Madrid.
Antonelli has spent the 2026 season rewriting Formula 1’s age records, and his latest Spanish Grand Prix success has strengthened his position at the top of the championship. The 20-year-old now leads Mercedes team-mate George Russell by 81 points with nine races remaining, putting Vettel’s record firmly within reach.
Kimi Antonelli continues to rewrite Formula 1 age records
Max Verstappen’s victory at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix, achieved when he was just over 18 years old, appeared to signal the beginning of a new Formula 1 era dominated by records for precocity. His Barcelona benchmark as the youngest Grand Prix winner remains intact, but Antonelli has since arrived and broken a remarkable number of other age records, several of which had previously belonged to Verstappen or Vettel.
Between the ages of 19 and 20, Antonelli became the youngest pole-sitter in Formula 1 history, while he had already become the youngest driver to set a fastest lap at just 18. He has also become the youngest driver to lead a Grand Prix lap and, most significantly, the youngest driver ever to lead the Formula 1 World Championship.
His rapidly expanding list of achievements has continued through the 2026 season. Following his victory in Madrid, Antonelli also added several more milestones to his remarkable F1 record haul.
Antonelli moves closer to Vettel’s youngest F1 champion record
The biggest target of all is now becoming increasingly realistic. Antonelli’s Madrid victory extended his advantage over Russell to 81 points, leaving the Italian in an increasingly strong championship position with nine races still to run.
Russell himself has already admitted that his own title hopes have faded, while the latest Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship standings underline the scale of Antonelli’s advantage.
If Antonelli completes the job this season, he would become the youngest Formula 1 world champion in history.
Sebastian Vettel would welcome Antonelli breaking his record
Unlike several other records associated with young Formula 1 drivers, the youngest world champion benchmark does not belong to Max Verstappen. It has been held since 2010 by another four-time Red Bull world champion: Sebastian Vettel.
Vettel won his first title at the age of 23 years, four months and 11 days, securing the championship at the dramatic 2010 season finale. More than a decade and a half later, the German says he would have no problem seeing Antonelli replace him at the top of that particular record list.
“I’d be very happy for him,” Sebastian Vettel said. “He’s had an incredible year. There’s that old saying that records are made to be broken. He still has many years ahead of him to do it.”
Vettel, who has remained a keen observer of Formula 1 since retiring from racing, also expressed his excitement at watching Antonelli’s emergence while hoping for a closer fight at the front.
“I love this sport, so as a spectator I find it very exciting. I hope the others also come back and make themselves heard and fight for the leading positions.”
“I’m an outside observer and I’m happy for him, because I know how much work goes into achieving certain results; whoever wins will have deserved it.”
Antonelli has the chance to take one of F1’s most prestigious records
Antonelli has already established himself as one of the most successful young drivers Formula 1 has seen, but becoming world champion at 20 would take his record-breaking campaign to another level entirely.
Vettel’s benchmark has survived since 2010, including throughout Verstappen’s rise to four world championships. Antonelli now has the opportunity to lower it by more than three years if he converts his commanding 2026 championship lead into his first Formula 1 title.
For Vettel, however, losing the record would not be a disappointment. His view is simple: records exist to be beaten, and if Antonelli earns the championship, the former Red Bull driver believes he will fully deserve to take his place in Formula 1 history.
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