Sebastian Vettel lost his record as Formula 1’s youngest world champion by more than three years on Sunday, and his first move was to film a message for the man who took it.
Vettel opened the video, captured by RaceFans, with a congratulatory nod in Italian (“campione del mondo”) before running through what he had seen in Kimi Antonelli at Mercedes: curious, fearless, a fast learner with clean and controlled driving on the limit.
Antonelli clinched the title at 20 years and 68 days, finishing third at the Mexico City Grand Prix on Sunday, with Max Verstappen winning the race from Lewis Hamilton. Vettel had set the previous mark at 23 years and 134 days when he took the 2010 championship. The new benchmark is more than three years younger.
A warning before the advice
The core of Vettel’s message was personal. He described losing his bearings after his own first title.
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“When I won my first title, it all seemed to happen the moment I crossed the finish line. I was overwhelmed. I got out of the car and the world around me was racing at full speed. It was like a rush. It was impossible to reflect. I didn’t sleep properly for days, so be prepared.”
He closed on the line he wanted the Italian to carry forward.
“Great achievements might change the way people look at you, but you don’t have to change the way you look at people.”
Vettel signed off with “Un abbraccio forte” (a big hug) and “Ciao”.
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An Italian ending to a 73-year wait
Antonelli is the first Italian driver to win the F1 world championship since Alberto Ascari in 1953. He had come to Mexico City needing only a top-nine finish to clinch the title regardless of what his rivals did, and he is doing it in his second F1 season.
He crossed the line in tears, telling broadcasters he had backed off on the final lap because he could no longer see the track through the emotion.
The two have been in regular contact through the season, exchanging messages before and after races.
The next round is the São Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos on 8 November.
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