Max Verstappen defeats Lewis Hamilton in Mexico GP as Kimi Antonelli secures first F1 title

Andrea Kimi Antonelli won his first Formula 1 drivers’ championship with a third-place finish as Max Verstappen took victory in a dramatic Mexico City Grand Prix. 

The 20-year-old has become F1’s youngest ever world champion, shattering Sebastian Vettel’s previous record that stood for 16 years, while he is the first Italian to win the drivers’ title since Alberto Ascari in 1953. 

Antonelli went into the race only needing to finish inside the top nine at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez to clinch his maiden title that has looked inevitable for some time thanks to his phenomenal performances in just his second F1 season. 

It is Mercedes’ first drivers’ title since Lewis Hamilton, who Antonelli replaced  last year, secured his record-equalling seventh world championship in 2020. 

Antonelli clinched the title in an action-packed race that was eventually won by Red Bull’s Verstappen after a red flag delay for a huge crash for Valtteri Bottas. 

Fireworks at Ferrari 

The race was also dominated by a flashpoint at Ferrari following a controversial start. 

Leclerc overtook Ferrari team-mate Hamilton at Turn 4 but completed the move off track, resulting in the Monegasque being hit with a five-second time penalty. 

Hamilton, who slipped behind Verstappen in the first-lap kerfuffle, felt Ferrari should reverse the positions, pointing out that Leclerc was benefitting from running in clean air out front. 

The seven-time world champion continually aired his frustrations over team radio, even claiming that "the stewards are basically handing Charles this win”, referring to a pre-race clarification that was issued to try and avoid a repeat of the opening lap shenanigans seen in Mexico last year. 

Hamilton later stated that Ferrari has got “big, big problems”. 

Huge Bottas crash stops race 

The race stopped on lap 46 when Bottas spun off into the barriers at the end of the long main straight after suffering a scary suspension failure in his Cadillac. 

Following a lengthy for barrier repairs, Hamilton made a statement at the restart by muscling his way past Leclerc to move into second, before challenging Verstappen at Turn 1. 

The old title rivals made contact at the apex of the first corners, with Verstappen managing to defend the lead from Hamilton. 

Verstappen survived a safety car restart and resisted late pressure from Hamilton to secure his third victory of the 2026 season, and the 74th victory of his career. 

Charles Leclerc just held onto fourth place ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris despite having a flatspot on his tyres after a huge lock up at the restart. 

George Russell came home sixth on a day his inevitable title defeat was confirmed, with Oscar Piastri taking seventh in the other McLaren. 

Franco Colapinto took eighth for Alpine, ahead of Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson, who incredibly battled from the pit lane to take ninth, ahead of Pierre Gasly.