Andrea Kimi Antonelli needed to score only a handful of points at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez to be sure of the title, and he did it from fourth on the grid. His podium at the Mexico City Grand Prix made him Formula 1’s youngest ever world drivers’ champion at 20 years old, a record previously held by Sebastian Vettel.

“We did it, we did it,” Antonelli told his Mercedes crew on team radio, his voice cracking, as the chequered flag fell.

Behind him, the race itself belonged to Max Verstappen, who started fifth and took the lead after the Ferrari clash and a smart Red Bull undercut during Charles Leclerc’s penalty stop. He then held off a recovering Lewis Hamilton by 0.799 seconds for a third win of the season.

Ferrari undo Ferrari

Hamilton had started from pole and should have led into Turn 1. Instead, he and his teammate Charles Leclerc banged wheels in the opening corners, with Leclerc running wide and keeping the position before the stewards intervened. Leclerc was handed a five-second penalty for leaving the track and failing to give the place back, dropping him from a possible win to fourth.

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Hamilton did not hide his frustration during the race, telling his pit wall over team radio that “the stewards are basically handing Charles this win,” according to PlanetF1’s race report.

The seven-time world champion recovered to second and set the fastest lap, but the opportunity was gone. Verstappen, having picked his way through the Ferrari fight, was never caught.

Russell’s title hopes end in silence

For George Russell, the weekend was a disaster from the lights. Mercedes’ other driver qualified on the front row and lost drive almost immediately as an energy deployment issue dropped him down the order. A later collision with Isack Hadjar at Turn 6 brought a 10-second penalty, and he came home sixth.

Russell left the circuit without fulfilling his mandatory post-race media duties, a breach that cost Mercedes a €5,000 fine. Team principal Toto Wolff said the Briton had gone to congratulate Antonelli and his family before heading out.

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“I saw George after the race on the FIA scales, and obviously he’s distraught about the situation,” Wolff told reporters at the circuit.

Mercedes already have the constructors’ lead

Antonelli’s title stretches Mercedes’ advantage at the top of the constructors’ standings, which the team now lead on 630 points, ahead of Ferrari on 504 and Red Bull on 382, according to RaceFans. Four rounds remain on the 2026 calendar.

The new champion will not switch to the traditional number one on his car for 2027. Antonelli said he will stick with number 12, both as a nod to his idol Ayrton Senna and because it was the first number he carried in Formula 4, he told Motorsport.com.

The next race is the São Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos.

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