Antonelli crowned youngest ever champion as Verstappen wins in Mexico

Kimi Antonelli became the youngest ever Formula 1 World Champion as third place in the Mexico City Grand Prix was enough for the Mercedes driver to claim the 2026 crown, with Max Verstappen taking race victory from Lewis Hamilton.

Antonelli entered Sunday’s 71-lap race at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez needing only to finish ninth to claim a maiden F1 title, regardless of where rivals Hamilton and Mercedes team mate George Russell finished.

The 20-year-old started fourth and eventually finished third in a race where the Italian had to deal with a mid-race red flag after a heavy accident for Valtteri Bottas and a late Safety Car following a crash for Arvid Lindblad.

Out in front, Verstappen claimed his third win of the season, the Red Bull driver withstanding late pressure from Hamilton to claim an unlikely win from fifth on the grid after being helped by an intense Ferrari intra-team battle.

Having jumped up to second on the opening lap, Verstappen took the lead after Charles Leclerc was handed a time penalty for cutting the track on the first lap when battling polesitter Hamilton.

The Dutchman then held the lead at the standing restart and maintained the lead again after the Safety Car was recalled with eight laps remaining, with Hamilton a constant threat.

Leclerc finished fourth after withstanding immense late pressure from Lando Norris’ McLaren, with George Russell (Mercedes), Oscar Piastri (McLaren), Franco Colapinto (Alpine), Liam Lawson’s Racing Bulls from the pit lane and the second Alpine of Pierre Gasly completing the top 10.

Gabriel Bortoleto was P11 for Audi, ahead of Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar who was tipped into a spin by Russell on the opening lap, with Ryo Hirakawa finishing P13 for Haas on his F1 debut after a mid-weekend call-up.

Alex Albon headed Williams team mate Carlos Sainz, Nico Hulkenberg was P16 after a 10-second penalty for a collision with Ollie Bearman ahead of home hero Sergio Perez, the Cadillac driver the last of the classified runners.

Lindblad crashed out at Turn 2 after a late collision with Piastri, Bearman retired after contact from Hulkenberg, while Bottas and the two Aston Martins of Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso retired.

Full report to follow