Kimi Antonelli heralded by F2 CEO after 'emotional' and universally popular F1 title win

When Kimi Antonelli took the chequered flag at the Mexico City Grand Prix, he became Formula 1's youngest drivers' champion.

And, at only 20 years of age (and 68 days), he didn't just beat Sebastian Vettel's 16-year-old record; he smashed it by over three years.

It's something Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton once achieved, before Vettel etched his own name over theirs in the history books.

Remarkably, Max Verstappen — Formula 1's previous prodigy — could not reach such great heights so early in his career, despite making his F1 debut at 17.

It's almost impossible to imagine anyone being able to top Antonelli's incredible feat; they would almost certainly need to still be a teenager to do so.

So whatever happens over the rest of his career, as successful as he may become or otherwise, he will likely always have this one slice of F1 history, at the very least.

However, in winning the title, Antonelli has also achieved a thing so rare and elusive that Alonso, Hamilton, Vettel — and Verstappen — could only ever dream of.

It's something that the record books cannot measure nor recognise — not that it makes it any less significant...

For Antonelli has done something they — as divisive characters, as most sportspeople are — could never do. He is the universally popular champion.

And it is precisely that which makes this such a feel-good story for Bruno Michel, the man who oversaw Antonelli's single campaign in Formula 1's support paddock as he prepared to step into the greatest void left by Hamilton at Mercedes.

Speaking exclusively to RacingNews365, Michel touched upon the "mutual and common reaction" when sharing his own response to Antonelli's triumph.

"Number one, I think it's great news," the FIA Formula 2 and FIA Formula 3 CEO says. "It's great news for motor racing; it's great news for Formula 1.

"It's a big breath of fresh air, I would say, coming into the system, and it's really nice because Kimi is young and is also such a nice guy.

"It's really a pleasure to see that and to see how everybody's happy about it. And it's something that is completely a mutual and common reaction from everybody: the drivers, the team principals, the F1 people, us [Formula 2]. Everybody's happy. Of course, the Italians, obviously, but it's great.

"So, the first reaction is that we were all very, very happy to see him crowned after the race in Mexico, and the celebrations were quite emotional, I must say, and very, very nice. So, all good for F1 and all good for motor racing."

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Michel echos FIA President and Vettel

Not only has Antonelli become the most popular F1 drivers' champion in living memory, but he is also the first Italian to do so in 73 years, which is frankly astounding given the passion for motorsport that envelops the country.

And after Juan Manuel Fangio, Jacques Villeneuve and Hamilton, he is one of just four people to be crowned in only their second season in the championship.

So momentous is his achievement that the only fear now is that success changes him from the genuine, warm character that has lit up the F1 paddock since his debut just 20 months — and 43 grands prix — ago.

It was something Mohammed Ben Sulayem requested in his congratulatory message to the newly crowned champion, about whom no one seems to have a bad word to say.

Asked if he had a message for Antonelli, Michel concurred with the FIA President, saying: "Well, what Mohammed said. I think, for me, it is important to see those drivers not changing.

"And we see that; it's very interesting in Formula 2, because some drivers, when they go from Formula 2 to Formula 1, they just disappear from our radars.

"And some others, they're always there. They come back. They come back on the pit wall. They see their old teams. They love to talk to them. It reminds them of good memories and stuff like that, and that's really what I would love to see with Kimi, even if he was with us not so long, but that he doesn't change."

Vettel, once a polarising figure in Formula 1 who has grown to be widely loved and adored, imparted some words of wisdom to Antonelli upon the young Italian surpassing his mark.

Michel underlined how valuable that message will be for the Mercedes driver as he reaches a higher plane.

"There was a very nice message that I heard from Sebastian Vettel that he sent to Kimi, saying being world champion is going to change the way people look at you, but make sure it doesn't change the way you look at people," he said.

"And to me, I think that's a very, very strong message. We've all been in this business for a long time. We know what can happen.

"I hope it keeps this freshness and this approach, which, of course, is going to be very difficult because now he's going to be under many, many more requests, and he's going to come into the paddock, and he's going to be the world champion. And we all know what it means.

"But if he can remain as close as possible to how he is now, then it will be a fantastic achievement as well."