In what felt like a real-life fairy story, Kimi Antonelli stood on the Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix podium, having secured his first world title after a coming-of-age season that has already seen him declared one of many future greats. There are nonetheless at most 4 races to go this yr, and on condition that neither of his closest title challengers going into the weekend gained, Kimi wouldn’t even have wanted to attain any factors to win all of it, underlining simply how spectacular his second season has been.
Extremely, this solely tells half the story of this weekend, which has seen drama throughout the size and breadth of the paddock, proper from Friday apply, by way of to Sunday, the place there would have been some tough post-race debriefs, not least at Ferrari. The Scuderia was the potential of a one-two after the primary couple of corners, earlier than each drivers went off monitor, letting Verstappen in to say the spoils and win the Race. Antonelli’s team-mate George Russell, in the meantime, “distraught” after an abysmal race which noticed him slip to fourth within the standings, needed to depart the circuit.
Hamilton, now we have an issue. Might or not it’s his team-mate?
The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez has for a very long time had a difficulty with drivers leaving the monitor and gaining a bonus. In contrast to different tracks the place obstacles or gravel traps power drivers to be far more risk-averse, the grass run-offs that exist right here virtually invite drivers to push the boundaries of what they will get away with in the case of making opportunistic strikes off-track. This appears to be what Charles Leclerc was making an attempt to do on Polesitter Lewis Hamilton, as he made a lunge spherical the surface at flip 4, when the 2 drivers have been operating one and two within the Grand Prix.
Regardless of the FIA saying they might be more durable on drivers doing this, they have been arguably not harsh sufficient on Leclerc, giving him a five-second time penalty which he served in his pit cease after he had already constructed a five-second hole to the automobile behind while main. Max Verstappen was capable of overtake Charles within the pits as he served his penalty. He stayed within the lead after the race was later restarted, with Hamilton in second unable to make a successful transfer and Charles slipping right down to fourth.
Lewis declared over the radio, “We’ve obtained huge issues”, and didn’t maintain again within the criticism of his team-mate after the race, suggesting that his mentality was too “do or die” and he value the group worthwhile factors. All racing drivers are hardwired to beat whoever is in entrance of them, and there’s no assure that they might have stayed one and two; this was undoubtedly Ferrari’s race to lose, and a few clearer guidelines of engagement from the group might have prevented this.
The place is poor George?
Because the solar went down in Mexico Metropolis, all of the Mercedes group gathered for images rightfully celebrating Kimi’s first World Drivers’ Championship and the group’s first since 2020, however somebody was lacking. Former Mercedes champion Nico Rosberg on Sky Sports activities instantly seen the absence of Antonelli’s team-mate George Russell, however not solely was he not showing within the images, however he was additionally not on the circuit.
Group Boss Toto Wolff later revealed that after getting out of the automobile and congratulating his team-mate in a “nice present of sportsmanship,” George Russell skipped his media duties, with Mercedes pleased to pay the customary five-thousand-euro high quality that was despatched his method consequently. The race itself was pretty consultant of George’s complete season this yr – exhibiting enormous promise, however going disastrously fallacious on account of issues not totally in his management.
After having began on the entrance row, a deployment situation within the run down to show one noticed him getting swallowed up by Max, Charles and Kimi, and when Isack Hadjar obtained forward, Russell didn’t again out of a possible transfer quickly sufficient, turning him round and getting himself a ten-second time penalty. George has had a number of time to come back to phrases with the truth that his youthful team-mate has obtained the measure of him at the moment, however with the title now determined, it might need all simply come over him.
Chaos within the midfield causes two security automobiles and a crimson flag
The Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix Circuit is notoriously tough to overhaul on as a result of altitude, and the race this time round was no totally different, however regardless of this, there have been nonetheless loads of incidents that stored us on the sting of our seats. Other than these now we have already mentioned on the sharp finish, Lance Stroll stopping early attributable to doorways introduced out the digital security automobile, but it surely was reasonably too early at this stage for anybody to make an affordable pit cease.
Valtteri Bottas suffered a scary suspension failure on his Cadillac, sending him careering into the barrier within the stadium part, and this brought on a quick security automobile, which Hamilton, Hirakawa, Perez, Piastri and Russell took benefit of by pitting. Antonelli, nevertheless, had already stopped, and due to this fact missed out on the chance to remain within the lead after having prolonged his tender tyre stint. The crimson flag was ultimately thrown.
Arvid Lindblad would later undergo his first official DNF for the Racing Bulls group after a coming-together with Oscar Piastri noticed the rear of Lindblad’s automobile going airborne with the wall at flip 5 ready for him, and vital harm to Piastri’s McLaren. The results of this was one other security automobile and a ten-second penalty for Piastri, dropping him right down to thirteenth place and out of the factors.
The highest three drivers take the highest three within the standings
Whereas it was painful watching George Russell, the driving force who appeared destined to win his first world championship, lose his runner-up spot within the standings, it considerably felt acceptable that F1’s previous, current and its future, represented by Lewis, Max and Kimi respectively, have been on the rostrum on Sunday. All three drivers, now with no less than one world title every, have arguably been probably the most constant drivers in 2026, as mirrored in prime three spots within the standings.
Although considerably overshadowed by Kimi’s maiden title and the drama surrounding the Ferrari drivers, Max Verstappen’s victory additional underlines his unbelievable report in Mexico, as, with six victories, it has grow to be his winningest circuit. Lewis Hamilton has additionally gained a spherical right here, albeit solely as soon as, and although exterior components robbed him of victory this time round, he has as soon as once more confirmed that age is only a quantity, together with his lightning tempo all weekend.
However for Kimi Antonelli, whose struggles final yr had some individuals questioning if he was even F1 driver materials, with the ability to have fun his world championship victory on the rostrum in entrance of his group and his household felt really apt. As Lewis and Max, the 2 drivers who’ve, between them, gained all however one of many earlier World Drivers’ Championships this decade, lifted him on their shoulders, it was really a type of historic changing-of-the-guard moments we by no means really recognize till a few years later…
