F1 Champion Kimi Secures 7 Grand Prix Victories 6 Months After Messi Sat Inside His Mercedes F1 Car

Mercedes-Benz driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli has added a remarkable chapter to his Formula 1 season after sealing the drivers’ title at the Mexico City Grand Prix on Sunday, November 1, becoming the youngest-ever driver to win the championship at just 20 years and 68 days old.

Kimi’s 2026 world championship title follows seven Grand Prix victories since the Miami weekend on May 3, when Argentine football star, Inter Miami player and eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi visited the Mercedes-AMG Petronas paddock with his family.

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During their visit to the Mercedes garage, Messi and his family were shown how the F1 steering wheel works. Afterwards, Messi briefly climbed into Antonelli’s cockpit, where he appeared delighted as he explored the controls and got a feel for the steering wheel.

Hours later, Kimi held off McLaren’s Lando Norris to win the Miami Grand Prix, with some fans jokingly attributing the victory to Messi’s touch on the steering wheel. The victory was his third consecutive win of the season and the first of seven victories recorded since the weekend of Messi’s visit.

The young Mercedes driver followed up with victories in Canada, Monaco, Belgium, Italy, Spain and the United States Grand Prix in Texas. Alongside his Miami triumph, those results give him seven wins since Messi’s visit, while his full 2026 tally stands at nine.

Kimi’s consistency put him in command of the championship fight before he sealed the drivers’ title at the Mexico City Grand Prix, having secured 380 points and established a 119-point lead over second-placed Max Verstappen, who has 261 points, with four rounds remaining.

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