Why Kimi Antonelli Didn’t Receive the F1 World Title Trophy in Mexico City Due to a Special Request Being Denied
Kimi Antonelli made history at the 2026 Mexico City GP by becoming the youngest ever F1 world champion at just 20 years and 68 days old. But surprisingly, he didn’t get to take home the championship trophy right away.
It turns out that someone asked if the trophy could be ready for him in Mexico in case he won, but that request was turned down. So, instead of the big championship trophy, Kimi had to celebrate with the third place race trophy—and wait to get the real one later. Here’s why.
After the race, Kimi was lifted up by his happy Mercedes team, holding the small third place trophy, not the grand world championship award. The reason for this goes back to the way Formula 1 and its governing body, the FIA, work separately.
Since 1980, F1 has run its own business side apart from the FIA, which still controls the sporting rules. Because of this, the big championship trophy is usually handed out at an official awards ceremony at the end of the year, along with trophies from other FIA racing series.
Kimi will get his trophy at this year’s ceremony in Shanghai on December 12. This important event honors every F1 champion since Giuseppe Farina won the first title in 1950, and all top three drivers are expected to attend.
There was a special request this year to give Kimi the trophy right after his big win in Mexico, but the FIA said no. They want to keep the trophy presentation as a special moment at the end of the year and avoid any problems if race results change after reviews or appeals.
With F1’s popularity booming, there’s sometimes tension between F1 leaders like CEO Stefano Domenicali and FIA President Ben Sulayem. But the end-of-year awards night remains a key event, and the trophy is likely to stay part of that ceremony for now.
So, while it would be great to see champions receive their trophies immediately on race day, that change might take some serious negotiations down the road. For now, Kimi and other new champions will proudly wear their tuxedos and wait for their shining moment in Shanghai!