History has a new name in Formula 1. Kimi Antonelli is officially a world champion, claiming the 2026 crown with a measured third-place finish at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez during the Mexico City Grand Prix. The Mercedes driver arrived at Sunday's 71-lap race needing only to finish ninth to seal the deal, regardless of what anyone else did. The 20-year-old started fourth on the grid and navigated a chaotic afternoon that featured a mid-race red flag following a heavy accident for Valtteri Bottas, alongside a late Safety Car triggered by a crash for Arvid Lindblad.
Out at the front of the field, Max Verstappen drove a brilliant race to take his third win of the season. The Red Bull driver started fifth and had to withstand intense late pressure from Lewis Hamilton, but an unexpected path to victory opened up thanks to an explosive intra-team battle at Ferrari. Verstappen clawed his way up to second on the opening lap before inheriting the lead when Charles Leclerc received a time penalty for cutting the track while fighting polesitter Hamilton.
Verstappen then expertly managed the standing restart and kept his cool when the Safety Car was recalled with eight laps left to run, holding off Hamilton all the way to the checkered flag. Behind the podium scrap, Leclerc crossed the line in fourth after surviving immense late pressure from Lando Norris in the McLaren. George Russell brought his Mercedes home in fifth, followed by Oscar Piastri in the second McLaren and Franco Colapinto for Alpine.
Further down the points, Liam Lawson pulled off a remarkable charge from the pit lane to finish ninth in his Racing Bulls machine, just ahead of Pierre Gasly's Alpine to round out the top 10. Gabriel Bortoleto took P11 for Audi, beating Red Bull's Isack Hadjar—who had been tipped into a spin on the opening lap by Russell—while Ryo Hirakawa steered his Haas to P13 on his F1 debut following a mid-weekend call-up.
Alex Albon led Williams team mate Carlos Sainz across the line, while Nico Hulkenberg took P16 after serving a 10-second penalty for a collision with Ollie Bearman. Home hero Sergio Perez finished as the last of the classified runners for Cadillac. The attrition list was brutal: Arvid Lindblad crashed out at Turn 2 following late contact with Piastri, Bearman retired after his clash with Hulkenberg, and Bottas joined the two Aston Martins of Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso on the retirement list.
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