Kimi Antonelli made history at the Mexico City Grand Prix by securing the Formula One world championship with four rounds still remaining in the season. The 20-year-old's ninth-place finish or higher was enough to seal the title, and he ultimately crossed the line in third place to claim a podium finish.
Max Verstappen won the race, holding off a late charge from Lewis Hamilton, who spent most of the grand prix stuck behind Charles Leclerc before being released late on but could not find a way past the Red Bull.
Hamilton's Frustrating Race
Hamilton started from pole position for the first time as a Ferrari driver but was beaten by Leclerc in a first-lap battle. The seven-time world champion was angry at the overtake, saying over the radio: "I got pushed out by my own team-mate."
Leclerc ran wide during the scrap and was handed a five-second penalty. Hamilton noted: "He's got clean air and doesn't have to manage like the rest of us. He should just give the positions back."
Hamilton also lost ground to Verstappen as a result of Leclerc's aggressive lunge. He ran third with George Russell fifth, the Briton receiving a 10-second time penalty for spinning Isack Hadjar on lap one.
Red Flag Interruption
Ferrari called Hamilton in for a second pit stop after Valtteri Bottas suffered a heavy crash. Moments later, the race was red-flagged because the barrier that the Cadillac had hit required extensive repairs, halting the race for 40 minutes in total.
It appeared to have cost Hamilton a place to Antonelli, but race control used the restart order from the previous lap, meaning Hamilton retained third on the grid. That proved crucial, placing him on the cleaner side of the track at the restart and allowing him to reclaim his position ahead of Leclerc.
Verstappen Holds On
Hamilton briefly challenged Verstappen for the lead, but the Red Bull driver had the measure of him. The Briton posted some of the fastest lap times of the race but could not get close enough to the Dutchman, as the Ferraris continued to struggle with overheating when stuck behind another car for an extended period.
Verstappen held firm to the chequered flag, but as the two F1 giants battled, Antonelli was crowned champion, finishing a comfortable third ahead of Leclerc.
