Antonelli Clinches 2026 F1 Title as Verstappen Wins Mexico
Kimi Antonelli clinched the 2026 Formula 1 drivers’ championship with third place in the Mexico City Grand Prix, becoming the youngest world champion in the series’ history. Max Verstappen won the 71-lap race by 0.799 seconds over Lewis Hamilton.
The result settled the title with races still remaining. Antonelli arrived at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez needing only a ninth-place finish, regardless of what Hamilton or Mercedes teammate George Russell achieved. The 20-year-old instead reached the podium after a race interrupted by a red flag and a late Safety Car.
Verstappen converted fifth on the grid into victory
According to Formula 1’s official race report, Verstappen made his decisive progress immediately. Starting fifth after a grid penalty, he climbed to second on the opening lap while Ferrari teammates Hamilton and Charles Leclerc fought for the lead.
Leclerc crossed the grass during that opening-lap contest and received a five-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining a lasting advantage. When Leclerc served the penalty during his pit stop, Verstappen moved ahead. The Red Bull driver then managed two restarts and held off Hamilton by less than a second for his third win of the season.
| Finish | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull |
| 2 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari |
| 3 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes |
| 4 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari |
| 5 | Lando Norris | McLaren |
| 6 | George Russell | Mercedes |
| 7 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren |
| 8 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine |
| 9 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls |
| 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine |
Antonelli delivered the finish he needed
Antonelli started fourth and stayed in the leading group through the opening stint. His path changed on Lap 43, when he completed his tyre stop moments before Valtteri Bottas crashed heavily at Turn 1. The resulting Safety Car was upgraded to a red flag while officials repaired the barrier.
At the standing restart, Antonelli passed Leclerc for third. He finished 4.006 seconds behind Verstappen and 3.207 seconds behind Hamilton—comfortably better than the ninth place required to guarantee the championship.
The achievement is a title milestone, not merely an age record. Antonelli entered Formula 1 as one of the most closely watched young drivers of his generation, and the 2026 season turned that promise into a championship before his 21st birthday. Formula 1 identifies him as the youngest world champion in the sport’s history.
A red flag and late crash shaped the finish
Bottas’ suspension failure under braking caused the mid-race stoppage. Formula 1 reported that he left the car unaided after receiving medical attention and went to the circuit medical center for precautionary checks.
The race was neutralized again when Oscar Piastri and Arvid Lindblad made contact at the opening corners, sending Lindblad into the barrier. Verstappen controlled the final restart with eight laps remaining, but Hamilton stayed close enough to finish just 0.799 seconds behind.
Leclerc held fourth ahead of Lando Norris. Russell, Piastri, Franco Colapinto, Lawson and Gasly completed the top 10. Lawson’s ninth place came from a pit-lane start after his qualifying disqualification for an MGU-K infringement.
What comes next
The championship now moves to the São Paulo Grand Prix on November 6–8. Antonelli will arrive as the confirmed drivers’ champion, while the remaining races will still matter for constructors’ points, individual victories and the final order behind him.
For the weekend’s earlier developments, see Chiefs Review’s reports on Hamilton’s first Ferrari pole and the penalties that changed the Mexico grid.
Featured image: Archive photo of Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes W17 at the 2026 British Grand Prix. It does not show the Mexico City Grand Prix. Photo by Jason Puddephatt, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; source file.
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