Kimi Antonelli secured the 2026 Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship at the Mexico City Grand Prix after finishing third behind race winner Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. The Mercedes driver became the youngest world champion in F1 history at just 20 years old. The race featured several incidents, two major interruptions, and time penalties for Charles Leclerc and George Russell.
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Dramatic Opening Lap Brings Early Penalties
Lewis Hamilton started from pole position, but the two Ferrari drivers immediately became involved in a battle for the lead. Charles Leclerc challenged his teammate, and both cars ran off the track during the opening exchanges.
George Russell also had a difficult start. He made contact with Isack Hadjar, sending the Red Bull driver into a spin. Russell received a 10-second time penalty for the incident.
The stewards also reviewed the opening-lap events involving the Ferrari drivers. As Leclerc completed the overtake while off track, he received a five-second time penalty from the stewards.
Leclerc Loses the Lead After Pit Stops as Antonelli Moves Forward
The race continued with Leclerc building a five-second advantage over Verstappen, while Hamilton remained third and Antonelli followed in fourth. Lando Norris was also pushing forward, but struggled to find a way past George Russell.
The first major strategic change came on Lap 27, when Leclerc made his pit stop and served his five-second penalty. Verstappen stopped at the same time and came out ahead of the Ferrari, taking control of the race. Antonelli temporarily moved into the lead as the pit-stop cycle continued. Russell served his 10-second penalty during his stop on Lap 32, while Norris also made his pit stop later in the race.
Antonelli showed strong pace on older tires and maintained a gap over Norris. He finally stopped on Lap 42, rejoining comfortably ahead of the McLaren. Meanwhile, Verstappen moved into second place, with Leclerc and Hamilton still fighting behind him.
Bottas Crash Causes Red Flag
The race was interrupted by a serious crash involving Valtteri Bottas. His Cadillac had a front-left suspension failure approaching Turn 1 and he hit the barriers heavily, bringing out the red flag and stopping the race. Bottas was taken for medical checks after the accident.
The interruption changed the race situation and gave the teams another opportunity to adjust their strategies.
At the restart, Leclerc had a slow launch, allowing Hamilton to move ahead. Hamilton then challenged Verstappen for the lead, while Antonelli moved past Leclerc to take third place.
Leclerc also reported strong vibrations through his Ferrari over team radio. Lando Norris stayed close behind him, but could not find a way past.
Lindblad Crash Brings Out Safety Car
Another incident took place when Oscar Piastri caught Arvid Lindblad. Piastri attempted to pass around the outside, but the two cars made contact. Lindblad hit the barriers, bringing out the Safety Car.
The race restarted again in the closing stages. Hamilton remained close to Verstappen, but could not make a successful move for the lead.
Norris continued to put pressure on Leclerc, although he struggled to find enough speed to complete an overtake. The leading positions remained unchanged through the final laps.
Verstappen Wins as Antonelli Makes F1 History
Max Verstappen crossed the finish line first to win the Mexico City Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton finished second, while Kimi Antonelli secured third place and the 2026 Drivers’ Championship.
The final podium order was:
1. Max Verstappen – Red Bull
2. Lewis Hamilton – Ferrari
3. Kimi Antonelli – Mercedes
Antonelli became the youngest Formula 1 world champion in history. He also became the first Italian driver to win the championship since Alberto Ascari in 1953, ending a 73-year wait for another Italian title winner.
The result confirmed Antonelli’s place at the top of the 2026 championship standings with four races still remaining in the season.
The full results of the race according to FIA.com:
