Ismael Fahssi storms to a birthday victory in Mexico

It was an absolute masterclass from Ismael Fahssi in Round 10 of the 2026 F1 Sim Racing World Championship. On his birthday, the Ferrari driver snatched a stunning victory at the virtual Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez after a race defined by pure, raw strategy and an unforgettable final lap.

Qualifying set the stage with total chaos. Championship leader Otis Lawrence missed a valid lap and tumbled to 15th, while reigning champion Jarno Opmeer was left stranded in 11th. Racing Bulls driver Ulas Ozyildirim claimed pole, but the race itself belonged to the Ferrari duo of Fahssi and Bari Broumand. They executed a beautiful double overtake on Ozyildirim early on, and once the pit sequences cleared, the field was set for a sprint to the line.

Fahssi was relentless. With 10 laps remaining, he and Lawrence were cutting through the pack, but Alfie Butcher stood firm on old hard tyres. The final lap was pure adrenaline; Fahssi pounced at Turn 1 to grab the lead and never looked back. Butcher hung on for a brilliant second, with Ruben Pedreno rounding out the podium. It is a massive result that tightens the championship hunt, with Fahssi now sitting 26 points behind Lawrence as we head into the final rounds.