Andrea Kimi Antonelli added another milestone to his career last Sunday, at the Formula 1 Monaco GP. The Mercedes driver secured pole position, crossed the finish line first, set the fastest lap and led every lap of the race. With this performance, he completed the Grand Chelem and, at 19 years old, became the youngest driver to reach this milestone in the history of the category.
The Grand Chelem represents one of the most difficult achievements in F1. To obtain it, the competitor must start on pole, win the race, lead from start to finish and record the fastest lap. This combination makes the feat much more demanding than a simple victory from first place on the grid.
Antonelli enjoyed a flawless weekend in the narrow streets of Monte Carlo. After setting the best time in Saturday’s qualifying session, he held the lead at the start and maintained the lead throughout the race without giving up position at any point.
Even with several safety car interventions and a turbulent end to the race, the Italian showed coolness and, at 19 years, nine months and 13 days, broke the record for the youngest person to achieve a Grand Chelem. The previous mark belonged to Max Verstappen, who was 23 years, 9 months and 4 days old when he achieved the feat at the 2021 Austrian GP.
In books
With the victory of the Grand Chelem, the Mercedes representative became part of a very restricted group. Since the start of the Drivers’ World Championship in 1950, only a few of the biggest names in world motorsport have recorded such a performance.
The five drivers with the most Grand Chelems
- Driver — Number of Grand Chelems — Number of GPs
- Jim Clark — 8 — 72
- Lewis Hamilton — 6 — 386
- Max Verstappen — 6 — 239
- Alberto Ascari — 5 — 32
- Michael Schumacher — 5 — 307
Jim Clark stands out especially among them all. The Scot obtained eight Grand Chelems throughout his career, a record that remains unbeatable to this day. Hamilton and Verstappen appear close behind, with six each, followed by Ascari and Schumacher, who have five.
Among the drivers still competing, in addition to Antonelli and the aforementioned Hamilton and Verstappen, Oscar Piastri, Charles Leclerc and Fernando Alonso each have a Grand Chelem on their CV.
For Antonelli, the result reinforces the extraordinary talent he demonstrates. The Italian was already seen as one of the main promises of the new generation for some time, but, in his first full season in the elite, he is now also threatening the records of already established names.
