Kimi Antonelli secured the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship at the Mexico City Grand Prix, becoming the youngest champion in the sport’s history. The Mercedes driver, aged 20 years and 68 days, clinched the title by finishing third at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez on Sunday, November 1. This achievement surpasses the previous record held by Sebastian Vettel, who was 23 years and 134 days old when he won his first title in 2010.
Antonelli’s third-place finish was sufficient to secure the championship with four races remaining in the 2026 season. He had entered the Mexico City event needing only to finish ninth, regardless of his rivals’ results. This marks the first time an Italian driver has won the Formula 1 World Championship since Alberto Ascari in 1953.
The Mexico City Grand Prix, the 19th round of the 2026 season, was won by Max Verstappen for Red Bull. Lewis Hamilton finished second for Ferrari, 0.799 seconds behind Verstappen. Antonelli crossed the line 4.006 seconds adrift of Hamilton.
The race was marked by several incidents, including a mid-race red flag caused by Valtteri Bottas’s Cadillac suffering a left-front suspension failure. A late Safety Car period followed a crash involving Arvid Lindblad. Hamilton had started the race from pole position, his first for Ferrari this season.
Internal tensions at Ferrari were evident during the Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc clashed on the opening lap as Leclerc attempted an overtake at Turn 4. Leclerc ran off track and took the lead without immediately relinquishing the position. This incident allowed Max Verstappen to move ahead of Hamilton.
Leclerc subsequently received a five-second time penalty for the maneuver. Hamilton expressed frustration over team radio, stating he was ‘pushed out by my own teammate.’ Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur later criticised both drivers, citing a ‘lack of respect’ for the team and brand.
I’m struggling to swallow it because, honestly, I think it’s a lack of respect, a lack of respect for the brand, a lack of respect for all the people working here and for the efforts we’re putting in.
Haas made an abrupt driver change for the remainder of the weekend, replacing Esteban Ocon with reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa. The team confirmed the change was not due to illness. Ocon had reportedly expressed dissatisfaction with his run plan during Friday practice. Haas had previously announced Ocon would leave the team at the end of the 2026 season.
Ryo Hirakawa, aged 32 years, 7 months, and 25 days, made his Formula 1 race debut, becoming the oldest newcomer since André Lotterer in 2014. Hirakawa finished 13th but was classified P10 after penalties for other competitors, securing a point for Haas.
Mercedes driver George Russell experienced a challenging race. Starting second, he suffered a power unit deployment issue at the start, losing multiple positions. Russell also received a 10-second time penalty for a collision with Isack Hadjar at Turn 6. He finished the Grand Prix in sixth position.
Russell later stated that 2026 had been a difficult season for him, acknowledging poor performances and bad luck. He congratulated Antonelli on his championship success. Russell missed his post-race media commitments and was subsequently fined by the FIA.
Aston Martin faced reliability issues, with Fernando Alonso retiring after five laps due to a Honda power unit failure. This continues a season-long concern regarding the Honda power unit’s drivability and reliability, exacerbated by Mexico City’s high altitude stressing the ERS cooling system. Lance Stroll also retired from the race.
Max Verstappen’s victory in Mexico City marked his third win of the 2026 season. He currently sits fourth in the Drivers’ Championship standings.
The full results for the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix are as follows:
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)
