Kimi Antonelli made history at the 2026 Mexico City GP as he was crowned F1’s youngest ever champion at 20 years and 68 days old – but was left without the title trophy to show for his efforts.
It’s now emerged that a special request was made to make sure the championship silverware was waiting for him in case he succeeded in Mexico – but that it was turned down.
The Mercedes man was left to indignantly celebrate with his third place trophy from the actual race, with nothing to show for the actual world championship. For that, he’ll have to wait – we explain why below.
Kimi Antonelli left to celebrate F1 title without his championship trophy.
Hoisted aloft the shoulders of his jubilant Mercedes team as darkness descended on Mexico City, Kimi Antonelli was seen clutching his third place trophy from the race, rather than that of the world championship – a somewhat more substantial piece of silverware.
Why wasn’t the young ace presented with it then?
It’s due to the separation between Formula 1 and its governing body, the FIA, motor sport’s equivalent of football’s FIFA.
In 1980, led by Bernie Ecclestone, F1 began to separate itself commercially from the FIA – the governing body which still oversees its sporting and technical rules.
This divide is still in place. F1 is in charge of its own destiny in terms of how it generates money, but the championship trophy is normally awarded at a glitzy prize-giving ceremony along with other FIA series such as sportscar’s World Endurance Championship, the World Rally Championship, Formula E and others.
Antonelli will have to have his best tuxedo ready for this year’s ceremony in Shanghai on December 12.
He’ll be presented then with the huge silver trophy detailed with sterling
gold and featuring the signatures of every single F1 champion, the first being Giuseppe Farina’s from the first ever F1 world championship in 1950.
It’s normally mandatory for the top three drivers in the championship to attend.
Lewis Hamilton invoked the fury of then new-FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem when he skipped the ceremony in 2021 after that year’s notorious Abu Dhabi finale, in which the Brit lost in controversial circumstances to Max Verstappen.
Since Liberty acquired F1’s commercial rights in 2017, the American entertainment company has been keen to make the most of grand prix racing’s biggest moments.
ESPN has reported that this year a special request was made by Liberty to present the championship trophy at the moment that it was won, but that it turned down.
Despite discussions taking place – and not for the first time as Liberty have made similar requests previously – the FIA is keen not to take the gloss off its end-of-year shindig.
There’s also the most serious matter of sporting appeals, which can be made against results after races.
The FIA doesn’t want to see a champion crowned with their trophy only for it to be rescinded at a later date.
With F1’s popularity skyrocketing in recent years, so the power struggle between F1 and the FIA has only grown.
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali and FIA President Ben Sulayem have frequently been at odds during this period, but relations have thawed recently with diplomacy.
However, the end of year prize-giving is its biggest event, with attendees extremely keen to get a glimpse of the
historic moment the new grand prix champion being crowned.
It would take some serious bargaining from F1 for that to change any time soon.
