Kimi Antonelli secured the Formula One world championship at the Mexico City Grand Prix, becoming the sport's youngest ever title winner. Max Verstappen took the race victory, but the day belonged to Antonelli, who finished on the podium to seal the crown with four rounds of the season still to go.
Antonelli seals title with podium finish
Antonelli did not need to win the race, as ninth place or better would have been enough to clinch the championship given his advantage in the standings. He ultimately finished third, comfortably ahead of Charles Leclerc, to confirm his historic achievement.
Hamilton's frustrations in Ferrari battle
Lewis Hamilton started from pole position for the first time as a Ferrari driver, but lost the lead to team-mate Leclerc in a lap-one battle. Hamilton complained over the radio, saying: "I got pushed out by my own team-mate." Leclerc went off track during the fight and was handed a five-second penalty. Hamilton added: "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 move, leaving him third, with George Russell fifth after receiving a 10-second time penalty for spinning Isack Hadjar on lap one.
Red flag and restart drama
The race was interrupted when Valtteri Bottas suffered a heavy crash, prompting Ferrari to bring Hamilton in for a second pit stop. Seconds later, the race was red-flagged as the barrier needed extensive repairs, stopping the race for 40 minutes.
Hamilton appeared to drop a place behind Antonelli, but race control used the restart order from the previous lap, allowing him to keep third on the grid. That proved vital, as he was on the cleaner side of the track at the restart and got back ahead of Leclerc.
Verstappen holds off Hamilton
Hamilton briefly challenged Verstappen for the lead but could not get close enough, as the Ferraris continued to struggle with overheating when running behind another car. Verstappen held on to take the chequered flag, while Antonelli crossed the line in third to seal his championship.
