Antonelli becomes world champion as Verstappen wins in Mexico — SkimNews
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- Antonelli clinched his first Formula 1 world title by finishing third at the Mexico City Grand Prix, becoming the sport’s youngest champion at 20 years and 68 days.
- Vettel’s previous youngest-champion record fell to Antonelli by three years and 66 days, while Antonelli became the first Italian F1 champion since Ascari in 1953.
- Verstappen won for Red Bull and took his third victory in four races, benefiting from the internal Ferrari battle between Hamilton and Leclerc.
- Leclerc passed Hamilton around the outside at the first chicane, crossed the grass and cut the corner to lead, then received a five-second penalty because Hamilton had also gone off.
- Hamilton finished second after starting on pole and said Ferrari needed “serious talks”; he argued that Leclerc’s aggressive first-lap move had cost the team victory.
- Antonelli moved from fourth into the lead as rivals stopped, then pitted one lap before the safety car for an elongated final stint before passing Leclerc after the restart.
- Bottas’ Cadillac crash on lap 45 prompted a safety car and then a red flag, leaving a 25-lap sprint in which Verstappen, Hamilton and Antonelli finished less than two seconds apart.
Why it matters: Antonelli’s title reset the youngest-champion record by three years and 66 days over Sebastian Vettel’s mark. Ferrari’s internal battle carried a concrete cost: Leclerc’s first-lap move brought a five-second penalty and, in Hamilton’s account, cost him victory, while Verstappen collected his third win in four races.
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