Antonelli thanks Vettel and fellow champions as he reflects on first F1 title

Kimi Antonelli has spoken about the celebrations and support that followed his first Formula 1 world championship, saying he is still absorbing the achievement. Speaking in Brazil on Thursday, the Mercedes driver reflected on an eventful few days after securing the title in Mexico City, BBC Sport reported.

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Formula 1's official website reported that Antonelli singled out a congratulatory video from Sebastian Vettel among the many messages he received. The 20-year-old secured the championship with third place in Mexico in only his second F1 season, taking the youngest-champion record previously held by Vettel, a four-time world champion.

Antonelli said Vettel's message carried personal meaning and advice about the future. He also acknowledged encouragement from Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris, according to Formula 1's report. Videos of celebrations in his hometown were another part of the response, which he described with gratitude while explaining that choosing a single favourite moment was difficult.

The celebrations included a visit on Tuesday to the property of Ayrton Senna's family, where Antonelli sat in one of the Brazilian champion's Lotus cars from the 1980s. BBC Sport reported that Antonelli found the visit extraordinary but wished he had more time to reflect on both that experience and his championship success after such a busy sequence of events.

Another lasting memory was the Mexico podium celebration, when Hamilton and Verstappen lifted him onto their shoulders. Antonelli said he had already framed a photograph of the moment. According to the BBC, he particularly valued the gesture because it came voluntarily from two drivers whose achievements he admired, and wanted to thank them again in calmer circumstances.

Despite the demands of the celebrations, Antonelli said he had also been able to relax and recover during the days since winning the title, Formula 1 reported. He described spending time with the Senna family as an experience he would always remember. His account combined happiness at becoming champion with the admission that the scale of the achievement had not yet fully sunk in.