Kimi Antonelli has officially been crowned the 2026 Formula 1 world champion after finishing third in the Mexico City Grand Prix at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez on Sunday. The result was enough for the Mercedes driver to secure his maiden title and become the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen claimed victory after holding off Lewis Hamilton in a race that featured multiple neutralisation periods.
Antonelli started from fourth on the grid and needed only to finish ninth to secure the championship, regardless of the results achieved by Hamilton and his Mercedes team-mate George Russell. The 20-year-old Italian successfully met that requirement by completing the race on the podium. His result confirmed a historic milestone and brought the 2026 drivers' championship battle to a conclusion.
At the front, the opening stages were shaped by an intense battle between Ferrari team-mates Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, who had started from pole position and second place respectively. The pair went wheel-to-wheel from the opening lap before both ran off track. Leclerc subsequently received a five-second time penalty for cutting the track during the incident. The situation benefited Verstappen, who moved ahead of Hamilton before eventually taking the lead following the pit-stop sequence.
Tyre strategy also played an important role in the battle at the front. Verstappen started on medium tyres, unlike several of his leading rivals who opted for the soft compound. The decision allowed the Red Bull driver to extend his opening stint before pitting on Lap 27 and switching to soft tyres. Antonelli, meanwhile, briefly inherited the lead as his rivals made their stops before completing his own tyre change on Lap 43 and rejoining in fourth position.
The race took another significant turn when Valtteri Bottas suffered a heavy crash at Turn 1. The Finnish driver's front-left suspension failed under braking, sending his Cadillac into the barriers. The Lap 45 incident initially brought out the Safety Car before the race was suspended with a red flag on Lap 46 due to barrier damage. Bottas managed to extract himself from the car unaided and was subsequently taken to the medical centre for precautionary checks.
Following the standing restart, Verstappen retained the lead despite immediate pressure from Hamilton into Turn 1. Antonelli capitalised on the situation to pass Leclerc and move into third place. The closing stages were disrupted again when Oscar Piastri and rookie Arvid Lindblad collided through the opening sequence of corners. The impact sent Lindblad into the barriers, forcing his retirement. Piastri subsequently received a 10-second time penalty and finished the race in 13th position.
A second Safety Car period was deployed with eight laps remaining. Verstappen controlled the restart and maintained his advantage all the way to the chequered flag to secure his third victory of the season. The Red Bull driver completed the race in 2 hours, 20 minutes and 28.772 seconds, finishing 0.799 seconds ahead of Hamilton. Antonelli completed the podium 4.006 seconds behind the winner, followed by Leclerc and Lando Norris in the top five.
The Mexico City result delivered two major outcomes in the same weekend. Verstappen collected the maximum 25 points with victory, while Antonelli secured the world championship through his podium finish. With the 2026 drivers' title now decided, attention will turn to the remaining Formula 1 calendar and the next round of competition between the teams.
Baca Juga
Kimi Antonelli mengunci gelar F1 2026 sebagai juara termuda setelah finis ketiga di GP Meksiko, sementara Max Verstappen memenangi balapan.
Stefano Domenicali memuji gelar Kimi Antonelli di GP Meksiko sebagai awal warisan besar, setelah pembalap Mercedes itu menjadi juara dunia F1 termuda.
Kimi Antonelli memastikan gelar juara dunia F1 2026 setelah GP Meksiko. Max Verstappen naik ke posisi kedua klasemen pembalap.
Lanjutkan dengan Google
Diskusi & Komentar (0)
Mari Bergabung dalam Diskusi!
Masuk dengan mudah untuk mulai memberikan komentar, membalas, dan berinteraksi dengan pembaca lainnya.
Komentar Terbaru
Belum ada komentar. Jadilah yang pertama!