Kimi Antonelli secured his first Formula One world championship at the Mexican Grand Prix, taking the title in his second season with Mercedes. At the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, the Italian needed only two points to clinch the crown: a top-nine finish would have been enough regardless of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, and even 10th or 11th would have sufficed if neither of them won. He finished third, which was more than enough. The season still has rounds in Brazil, the United States, Qatar and Abu Dhabi remaining, but the drivers' title was decided in Mexico.
In qualifying, Lewis Hamilton took pole position for the first time in more than three years, when he was still at Mercedes. George Russell was second, Charles Leclerc third and Antonelli fourth. The race was also marked by Ryo Hirakawa's debut for Haas after Esteban Ocon was sidelined following serious disagreements with the team during the two free practice sessions. Antonelli said he had been tenser than usual because people kept telling him the title was already done, and that he had been trying to block out the noise. He added that he had been ill with high fever and stomach problems and was not fully recovered, saying a good start would be important.
The start in Mexico City was chaotic. Hamilton and Leclerc touched, with Hamilton losing out and dropping to third while Leclerc took the lead and Max Verstappen inserted himself between them. Antonelli stayed fourth and Russell was the main loser of the first lap, falling to fifth after hitting Isack Hadjar. Leclerc was given a five-second penalty and Russell a 10-second penalty. Hamilton complained on the radio about the size of Leclerc's penalty, recalling something that had been agreed in a meeting with the two Ferrari drivers. Leclerc served his penalty on lap 28 and returned in sixth, while Hamilton briefly took the lead before also pitting and rejoining behind his teammate.
With his main rivals pitting around him, including Russell, who served his penalty and fell to eighth, Antonelli stayed on track and moved into the lead as Mercedes clearly sought a track-position advantage. The young driver pitted on lap 44 and dropped to fourth, but with a comfortable margin over Lando Norris that allowed him to control the situation. Then the race changed again: Valtteri Bottas went straight on when the suspension of his left-front wheel broke, could not leave the car immediately and was attended by the medical team. The safety car gave way to a red flag, and Bottas later walked away from the Cadillac. The race was stopped for more than 45 minutes to repair the barriers, and it restarted with 24 laps remaining, with Verstappen on pole, followed by Leclerc, Antonelli and Hamilton.
Verstappen produced a competent restart and held the lead, helped by a small contact with Hamilton that ruined the Briton's strong start. Leclerc did not keep third for long, losing the place after a dive from Antonelli. A later safety car was deployed when Arvid Lindblad went out after an accident with Oscar Piastri, but nothing changed at the front. Verstappen won the Mexican Grand Prix ahead of Hamilton, while Antonelli completed the podium in third ahead of Leclerc, which was enough to seal the world championship.
At 20 years and 68 days, Antonelli is the youngest world champion in Formula One history, beating the 23 years and 134 days Sebastian Vettel had when he won with Red Bull in 2010. He is the first Italian champion in 73 years, since Alberto Ascari in 1953, and the first Italian to win the title with a non-Italian team. For Mercedes, it is the team's first drivers' title in five years, ending a run between Max Verstappen's four titles and Lando Norris's championship, and its 10th overall, behind only Ferrari with 15 and McLaren with 13.
Sources: Observador.