OMM Newsroom
Kimi Antonelli became Formula 1’s youngest world champion on Sunday, finishing third for Mercedes at the Mexico City Grand Prix. He clinched the title at 20 years and 68 days old. Max Verstappen of Red Bull won the race after it was stopped by a red flag and then restarted.
Antonelli crossed the finish line and wept with joy over the team radio, AnewZ reported. After the race at the high-altitude Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, his lead in the overall standings reached an unassailable 119 points.
Antonelli is the first Italian driver to win the Formula 1 championship since 1953. The previous record belonged to Germany’s Sebastian Vettel, who won his first title with Red Bull in 2010 at 23 years and 134 days old. Alberto Ascari was the last Italian champion.
“I’m speechless. I’m trying to understand what’s happening right now. It’s been an incredible season. Sharing the podium with Max and Lewis is truly amazing. I can’t wait to fight more in the future,” Antonelli told spectators after the finish.
At a news conference later, the driver said he could not see the track on the final lap because of his emotions: “On the final lap, I just slowed down because I couldn’t see the track. I was emotional. The main thing is that I finished the race.”
Verstappen moves up to second in overall standings
Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton started from pole position and finished second after a collision with his teammate Charles Leclerc. The dramatic race featured two safety-car periods, several crashes and a 33-minute stoppage with 25 of the 71 laps remaining.
Leclerc finished fourth, while McLaren’s reigning champion Lando Norris was fifth. Antonelli’s teammate George Russell came in sixth. Russell needed to win the race to remain in contention for the title.
The result moved Verstappen up to second in the overall standings. Hamilton rose to third, while pre-season favorite Russell dropped to fourth, 130 points behind Antonelli.
Mercedes leads the constructors’ standings with 630 points, while Ferrari has 504. Mercedes could secure the title next weekend in Brazil.
McLaren driver Oscar Piastri crossed the finish line seventh but was given a 10-second penalty for causing a collision and dropped to 15th. Franco Colapinto consequently moved up to seventh and his Alpine teammate Pierre Gasly to ninth. Both were later handed 10-second penalties for speeding under yellow flags, costing them the chance to score points.
The race was stopped on lap 46 of 71, shortly after the safety car had left the track. Valtteri Bottas’s front-left suspension failed as he was travelling at high speed on a straight, sending his Cadillac crashing uncontrollably into the barriers at Turn 1.
After the restart, Verstappen held the lead, with Hamilton chasing him, while Antonelli moved ahead of Leclerc. The safety car was deployed again after a collision between Lindblad and Piastri. The race resumed with nine laps remaining.
