Antonelli clinches F1 title with third place as Verstappen wins in Mexico

Kimi Antonelli secured his first Formula 1 world championship by finishing third at the Mexico City Grand Prix, as Max Verstappen won a race marked by late safety interruptions and a red flag.

The 20-year-old Mercedes driver became the youngest champion in the sport’s history, breaking Sebastian Vettel’s record by three years and 67 days. Lewis Hamilton finished second for Ferrari, less than two seconds behind Verstappen, with Antonelli close behind in third.

Antonelli needed only to avoid a low finish to seal the title. He held fourth for much of the race, then moved up after the red-flag restart, passing Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. A late safety car set up a final seven-lap sprint, but Verstappen, Hamilton and Antonelli crossed the line in that order.

The championship is Antonelli’s in his second season in Formula 1. Verstappen’s victory was his third in four races, while Hamilton was left frustrated after a first-lap clash with team-mate Leclerc. Leclerc received a five-second penalty for cutting a chicane while taking the lead; the stewards said Hamilton had also gone off track, which they treated as mitigation.

The result follows Antonelli’s opportunity to clinch the title at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, where he started from pole but did not secure the championship. Verstappen had said Antonelli deserved the title.