Max Verstappen took the checkered flag at the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix, but the real story belonged to Kimi Antonelli, who clinched his maiden Formula 1 World Championship with a third place finish at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. The Mercedes driver's title success marks a stunning moment for the team and caps off what's been an intense title battle that came down to the wire in Mexico.
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It was a proper old-school dramatic race at altitude. Lewis Hamilton finished second for Ferrari, just behind Verstappen, while Antonelli's Mercedes teammate George Russell rounded out the top six. Charles Leclerc piloted the other Ferrari to fourth place, with Lando Norris rounding out the podium positions in fifth. The action kept on coming throughout the 71-lap affair, with plenty of position changes and controversy to keep everyone on their toes.
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The race saw several drivers fail to make it to the finish line. Ollie Bearman didn't complete the distance for Haas, and both Valtteri Bottas in the Cadillac and Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin also retired. Lance Stroll's Aston Martin retired as well, making for a weekend to forget for that particular team. Meanwhile, Franco Colapinto bagged eighth place for Alpine, showing the team's competitive pace even if they couldn't battle for the win.
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Antonelli's championship triumph represents a massive milestone for someone still early in their career, securing the title in Mexico rather than waiting until the final round. For Mercedes, it's another world championship to add to their tally, even if it came under somewhat unconventional circumstances with their driver collection this season. Red Bull will be pleased with Verstappen's victory, keeping their winning momentum going even as the championship picture shifted dramatically.
Shop the collection: Max Verstappen merch • Lando Norris merch • Charles Leclerc merch • Lewis Hamilton merch • George Russell merch • Kimi Antonelli merch • Fernando Alonso merch • Lance Stroll merch • Scuderia Ferrari merch • Red Bull Racing merch • Mercedes-AMG merch • Aston Martin merch • Haas merch • Cadillac merch • McLaren merch
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