The world went into the weekend pretty much knowing there would be a new champion by the end of the race, and they were not disappointed. While Max Verstappen made it a brilliant victory in Mexico, it was Kimi Antonelli who truly won as he became the youngest F1 World Champion ever. However, there was plenty of other drama throughout the Grand Prix. Here are my top five highlights from the race.
- Antonelli Makes History as Formula 1’s Youngest World Champion
- Kimi Antonelli arrived in Mexico City knowing that he was incredibly close to securing his first Drivers’ Championship, but he still needed to get the job done on Sunday. Starting fourth, the young Italian had a relatively calm opening to the race, staying behind the Ferraris and Max Verstappen while his main championship rivals struggled to make progress. A red flag midway through the race meant another standing restart, giving Antonelli the opportunity to gain a position, which he took by overtaking Charles Leclerc into Turn 1. He eventually crossed the line in third, more than enough to secure the title with four races still remaining. At just 20 years old, Antonelli has now become the youngest World Champion in Formula 1 history, taking the record from Sebastian Vettel. He is also the first Italian to win the Drivers’ Championship since Alberto Ascari in 1953. After an impressive second season in Formula 1, this is a huge moment for both Antonelli and Mercedes, and it will be exciting to see what the young champion can achieve in the years ahead.
- Verstappen Denies Ferrari a Homecoming Victory
- Max Verstappen may have started fifth on the grid, but that certainly didn’t stop him from fighting for the win. After an excellent opening lap, the Red Bull driver found himself up in second, taking advantage of a battle between the two Ferraris ahead. Charles Leclerc had initially taken the lead from teammate Lewis Hamilton, but a trip across the grass at Turn 4 earned him a five-second time penalty. Verstappen eventually took the lead during the pit-stop phase, as Leclerc served his penalty, and suddenly found himself in a brilliant position to take victory. However, Hamilton was never far behind, and the seven-time World Champion continued to put pressure on the Dutchman throughout the closing stages. Even a late Safety Car couldn’t give Hamilton the opportunity he needed, as Verstappen made an excellent restart with just eight laps remaining. He eventually crossed the line just 0.799 seconds ahead of Hamilton, securing his sixth victory at the Mexico City Grand Prix and his third win of the season. The result also moved him up to second in the Drivers’ Championship, making him an increasingly serious threat in the championship battle.
- Ferrari’s Internal Battle
- Ferrari looked incredibly promising heading into the Grand Prix, with Lewis Hamilton securing his first pole position for the team and Charles Leclerc starting alongside him on the front row. However, things quickly began to unravel once the lights went out. Hamilton initially held the lead into Turn 1, but Leclerc immediately challenged his teammate around the outside. The pair continued battling into Turn 4, where both drivers ran wide, allowing Leclerc to cut across the grass and take the lead. Although neither driver made contact, the incident resulted in a five-second penalty for Leclerc, which ultimately proved incredibly costly. Verstappen was able to take advantage of the situation and eventually passed Leclerc during the pit stops. Hamilton also managed to get ahead of his teammate during the red-flag restart, leaving Ferrari with a much better chance of challenging for the win. Hamilton spent the remainder of the race chasing Verstappen, eventually finishing less than a second behind him, while Leclerc had to settle for fourth after also coming under pressure from Lando Norris. It was a disappointing result for Ferrari, particularly after starting from pole, and the frustration was clear afterwards, with team principal Fred Vasseur expressing his disappointment over how the opportunity had been handled.
- A Race Full of Incidents, Red Flags and Late Drama
- There certainly wasn’t a shortage of incidents throughout Sunday’s race, with two major interruptions changing the course of the Grand Prix. The first came when Valtteri Bottas suffered a suspension failure under braking at Turn 1, sending his Cadillac into the barriers and bringing out the Safety Car. The damage to the barriers was significant enough that the race was eventually red-flagged, forcing the drivers to return to the pits before another standing restart. Fortunately, Bottas was able to get out of the car himself before being taken for precautionary medical checks. However, the drama wasn’t over just yet. With only a handful of laps remaining, Oscar Piastri and rookie Arvid Lindblad came together while battling through the opening corners. Piastri made contact with the Racing Bulls car, sending Lindblad into the barriers and bringing out another Safety Car. The McLaren driver was later handed a ten-second penalty for causing the collision, dropping him down to thirteenth in the final classification. For Lindblad, it was an unfortunate end to what had otherwise been a promising race. The final restart gave Hamilton one last opportunity to challenge Verstappen, but the Red Bull driver held his nerve to secure the victory.
- Hirakawa Scores on His Grand Prix Debut as Haas Endure Mixed Fortunes
- One of the more unexpected stories of the weekend came from the Haas garage, where Ryo Hirakawa found himself making his Grand Prix debut after originally being scheduled to participate only in FP1. Following FP2, Haas made the decision to replace Esteban Ocon with the Japanese driver for the remainder of the weekend, giving him an unexpected opportunity to compete in Formula 1. Despite qualifying nineteenth, Hirakawa kept his head during an eventful race and managed to work his way through the field, making the most of several incidents and retirements around him. He initially crossed the line thirteenth, but a number of post-race penalties promoted him into tenth place, earning him a point on his Grand Prix debut. It was a fantastic result for Hirakawa, particularly considering how little preparation he had for the weekend. However, things weren’t quite as positive on the other side of the garage. Ollie Bearman looked to be in contention for points before making contact with Nico Hulkenberg at Turn 4. The Audi driver was handed a ten-second penalty, but the damage to Bearman’s car was too severe for him to continue, forcing the Haas rookie into retirement. Nevertheless, Hirakawa’s unexpected point was a welcome result for the team, giving Haas something positive to take away from an otherwise difficult afternoon.
