Kimi Antonelli clinched the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship at the Mexico City Grand Prix, finishing third for Mercedes to become the youngest champion in the sport’s history. The 20-year-old needed only a ninth-place finish to secure the title, regardless of how Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes teammate George Russell performed.
Antonelli started fourth in the 71-lap race at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. His afternoon included a red flag after Valtteri Bottas crashed heavily and a late Safety Car following a collision involving Arvid Lindblad and Oscar Piastri. Antonelli finished 4.006 seconds behind winner Max Verstappen, with Hamilton second, 0.799 seconds behind the Red Bull driver.
Verstappen started fifth and took his third victory of the season after moving into second on the opening lap. He took the lead when Charles Leclerc received a five-second penalty for cutting the track while battling Hamilton. Verstappen then stayed ahead through both the standing restart and a late Safety Car period, holding off Hamilton to win by less than a second.
Leclerc finished fourth, ahead of Lando Norris. Russell placed sixth, followed by Piastri, Franco Colapinto, Liam Lawson and Pierre Gasly. Bottas, Aston Martin teammates Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso, Bearman and Lindblad were among the drivers who retired.
After the race, Antonelli said he was grateful to Mercedes and his family, adding that he was still trying to take in what had happened. The championship was his first Formula 1 title.
Sources: Formula 1.