Antonelli becomes youngest F1 world champion as Verstappen wins in Mexico City

Kimi Antonelli is the new world champion in Formula 1. The Italian driver finished third in the Mexico City Grand Prix on Sunday, a result that secured the title with four races left on the calendar. He becomes the youngest driver to hold the crown in the sport's history.

Max Verstappen won the race. The Dutch driver started from fifth on the grid due to a penalty. He capitalized on a dispute between the two Ferraris at the start. Verstappen held off Lewis Hamilton after a late safety car restart. This victory marks his third win in the last four races.

Lewis Hamilton took second place. The British driver earned his first pole position with Ferrari. He set the fastest lap of the race. Hamilton and Charles Leclerc both went wide at Turn Four on the opening lap. Leclerc later received a penalty for an off-track pass. He also locked up his wheels after a red flag, which dropped him off the podium.

Antonelli managed the pressure of the title race. He executed a clean first stint on the soft tire. He made a decisive move on Leclerc following the red flag. His performance under pressure was rated highly by observers who tracked the weekend.

Lando Norris finished sixth. He had qualified in sixth place but lost positions on the opening lap. George Russell missed pole position by 0.009 seconds. He spun Isack Hadjar on lap one and received a 10-second penalty.

Liam Lawson recovered from the pit lane after a technical disqualification in qualifying. He finished seventh after penalties were applied to other drivers. Ryo Hirakawa made his Formula 1 debut at short notice. Starting 18th, he finished in the points after passing both Williams drivers late in the race.

Sergio Perez competed in his 300th Grand Prix. He made up six places on the opening lap before a slow pit stop. Pierre Gasly qualified ninth but dropped to 17th after a 30-second penalty for failing to slow for yellow flags. Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll both retired after five laps due to mechanical failures.