Kimi Antonelli has become Formula 1’s youngest world champion at 20 years and 68 days old after finishing third at the Mexico City Grand Prix. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won the race, with Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton second.
How the title was sealed
Antonelli started the race in fourth place. He only needed to finish ninth or better to seal the championship, no matter what his rivals did.
He drove a controlled race and passed Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc on lap 48 to take third place. His lead in the standings is now an unassailable 119 points, with four races still left in the season.
The Mercedes driver has won the title in only his second season in Formula 1. He has nine wins and 16 podium finishes this year. He is the first Italian champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953, and he beat Sebastian Vettel’s record as youngest champion by more than three years. Vettel was 23 years and 134 days old when he won his first title in 2010.
A dramatic race in Mexico
Hamilton started from pole position, his 105th pole and his first for Ferrari at a full grand prix. He clashed with team-mate Leclerc in the early laps, and Leclerc was given a five-second penalty before finishing fourth.
The race was red-flagged and restarted after Valtteri Bottas crashed heavily in his Cadillac on lap 46. There were also two safety cars and several other crashes on a dramatic afternoon.
Verstappen won by 0.799 seconds from Hamilton. It was his sixth win in Mexico, his third win this year and the 74th win of his career. Hamilton was left fuming at Leclerc after their early clash cost Ferrari a possible one-two finish.
What the standings say now
Antonelli leads the drivers’ standings with 380 points. Verstappen is second with 261 points, just ahead of Hamilton on 259. George Russell, who needed to win the race to stay in contention, finished sixth and is fourth, 130 points behind Antonelli. Outgoing champion Lando Norris was fifth.
In the constructors’ standings, Mercedes have 630 points to Ferrari’s 504. Mercedes could clinch that title in Brazil next weekend.
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