Kimi Antonelli is Formula 1’s youngest ever world champion after finishing third in the Mexico City Grand Prix, while Max Verstappen won the race. Oscar Piastri crossed the line seventh but was pushed back to 13th by a 10-second penalty for a late collision.
The 20-year-old Mercedes driver only needed to finish ninth at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez to wrap up the 2026 title, and he did better than that, starting fourth and finishing on the podium, Formula 1 reported.
Antonelli is also the first Italian to win the drivers’ championship since Alberto Ascari in 1953, according to F1. He clinched the title with four rounds of the season still to run.
Verstappen holds off Hamilton
Verstappen won from fifth on the grid, finishing 0.799s ahead of polesitter Lewis Hamilton, with Antonelli third, 4.006s behind the winner, according to the official race classification.
The race was red-flagged after a heavy crash for Valtteri Bottas and later had a Safety Car following Arvid Lindblad’s crash. Charles Leclerc finished fourth ahead of Lando Norris, while George Russell, Antonelli’s teammate and fellow title contender at the start of the weekend, finished sixth after copping a 10-second penalty for tipping Isack Hadjar into a spin on the opening lap.
Read more: Kimi Antonelli Wins US Grand Prix but F1 Title Wait Goes to Mexico
Penalty costs Piastri his points
Piastri started 12th after his shock Q2 exit and worked his way up to seventh, but he collided with Lindblad while trying to pass the Racing Bulls rookie around the outside after the Safety Car restart, sending Lindblad into the barriers, F1 reported.
The stewards ruled Piastri was never fully alongside and could not claim the corner. “The Stewards determined that the collision could have been avoided if the driver of Car 81 had moved further to the left after turn 1, even if this involved leaving the track prior to turn 2,” the decision read.
The 10-second penalty dropped the Australian to 13th and out of the points. It is his fourth non-scoring round of the season, after Australia, Hungary and Azerbaijan.
Read more: Oscar Piastri Out in Q2 as Hamilton Takes Mexico GP Pole for Ferrari
Kiwi Lawson scores from pit lane
New Zealander Liam Lawson finished seventh for Racing Bulls after starting from the pit lane, and Haas debutant Ryo Hirakawa scored a point in 10th.
Antonelli now has 380 points, 119 ahead of Verstappen on 261, with Hamilton third on 259 and Russell fourth on 250, according to the official drivers’ standings. Piastri is seventh on 144 points. The next round is the São Paulo Grand Prix in Brazil.
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