Third place in the Mexico City Grand Prix was enough for Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli to take the 2026 title, while Max Verstappen won the race for Red Bull.
At the Mexico City Grand Prix on 1 November 2026, Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes finished third and so became the youngest World Champion in Formula 1 history. Red Bull's Max Verstappen won the 71-lap race, with Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari second.
Kimi Antonelli is the youngest driver ever to win the Formula 1 World Championship. The Mercedes driver secured the 2026 title in Mexico City with a third-place finish, in a race Max Verstappen won for Red Bull ahead of Lewis Hamilton.
Antonelli, 20, arrived for Sunday's 71 laps at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez needing only a ninth place to be champion for the first time, regardless of how rivals Hamilton and Mercedes team mate George Russell fared. He lined up fourth and crossed the line third. The Italian also had to get through a red flag halfway through the race, after a heavy accident for Valtteri Bottas, and a Safety Car late on following a crash for Arvid Lindblad.
How Verstappen won
Verstappen collected his third victory of the season having started fifth. He was second by the end of lap one, and moved into the lead when Charles Leclerc was handed a time penalty, which Formula 1 said was for cutting the track on that first lap as he fought polesitter Hamilton. A fierce fight between the two Ferrari drivers worked in the Red Bull driver's favour. Verstappen stayed in front when the race restarted from a standing start and again when the Safety Car was withdrawn with eight laps to go, with Hamilton a constant threat.
The rest of the top 10
Leclerc took fourth place, holding off a strong late charge from Lando Norris in the McLaren. Behind them came Russell for Mercedes, Oscar Piastri for McLaren, Franco Colapinto in an Alpine, Liam Lawson in the Racing Bulls (he ran from the pit lane) and the other Alpine of Pierre Gasly.
Gabriel Bortoleto took 11th in the Audi, in front of Red Bull's Isack Hadjar, whom Russell tipped into a spin on the first lap. Ryo Hirakawa was 13th for Haas, in his first F1 race after being called up during the weekend. Williams drivers Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz followed, Albon in front. Nico Hulkenberg took 16th after a 10-second penalty for a collision with Ollie Bearman, with home favourite Sergio Perez the last classified finisher in the Cadillac.
Retirements
- Lindblad went out at Turn 2 after colliding with Piastri late in the race.
- Bearman retired after contact from Hulkenberg.
- Bottas also retired, along with Aston Martin's Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso.
