Max Verstappen beat Lewis Hamilton by just 0.799 seconds after a red flag and a late Safety Car reshaped the Mexican Grand Prix. Kimi Antonelli finished third to become Formula 1’s youngest world champion.
Max Verstappen held off Lewis Hamilton to win the Mexican Grand Prix, while Kimi Antonelli secured his first world championship with third place on an afternoon packed with penalties, crashes and restarts.
Verstappen started fifth and finished just 0.799 seconds ahead of Hamilton. Antonelli completed the podium, becoming the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history at 20.
Charles Leclerc finished fourth after leading the opening stint, with Lando Norris fifth and George Russell sixth.
Ferrari’s opening-lap fight changes the race
Hamilton led away from pole, but his battle with Leclerc quickly brought controversy.
Both Ferraris went off track during their fight through Turn 4. Leclerc emerged ahead, while Hamilton also lost a position to Verstappen.
The stewards gave Leclerc a five-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining a lasting advantage. Their explanation acknowledged that both drivers entered the corner too quickly, with Hamilton also running off track among the mitigating factors behind the reduced punishment.
Russell received a separate ten-second penalty for causing a collision with Isack Hadjar at Turn 6. The contact spun the Red Bull driver and left him facing a recovery race.
Leclerc continued to lead until the pit-stop phase. When he and Verstappen stopped on lap 27, serving the five-second penalty helped put the Ferrari behind the Red Bull.
Bottas crash brings a lengthy interruption
The race was stopped on lap 45 following a heavy crash for Valtteri Bottas at Turn 1.
Bottas climbed out of his Cadillac and was later released from the medical center. Repairs to the barriers kept the race suspended for around 40 minutes.
The interruption also changed the tire-management challenge for the leaders. Verstappen had switched from medium tires to softs during his stop, leaving a long second stint ahead before the red flag reset the race.
At the standing restart, Hamilton moved ahead of Leclerc and challenged Verstappen for the lead. The Red Bull stayed in front, while Antonelli subsequently passed Leclerc to take third.
Hamilton keeps the pressure on
Verstappen’s advantage disappeared again when Arvid Lindblad crashed following contact with Oscar Piastri on lap 59.
Another Safety Car brought Hamilton back into contention, setting up a nine-lap run to the finish.
Hamilton stayed close after racing resumed, but Verstappen kept the Ferrari behind. Less than a second separated them at the flag.
Behind the leading pair, Antonelli delivered the podium finish that confirmed his championship. Leclerc had to settle for fourth after a race that had begun with him at the front.
Lawson recovers, Alpine scores with both cars
Piastri finished seventh, followed by Franco Colapinto, Liam Lawson and Pierre Gasly.
Lawson’s ninth place completed a recovery from a pit-lane start after his qualifying disqualification. Colapinto and Gasly gave Alpine a double points finish.
Gabriel Bortoleto narrowly missed the points in 11th, ahead of Hadjar. Ryo Hirakawa finished his Grand Prix debut in 13th for Haas.
Aston Martin’s race ended early, with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll each completing just five laps. Bottas, Oliver Bearman and Lindblad were the other retirements.
Verstappen moves into second in the championship
Antonelli leaves Mexico with 380 points and the drivers’ title secured.
Verstappen’s victory moves him into second on 261, just two points ahead of Hamilton. Russell drops to fourth on 250, followed by Leclerc on 245 and Norris on 221.
With four Grands Prix remaining, the championship is decided. The fight to finish behind Antonelli is still open.
Results were provisional at the time of writing.
