Mercedes driver wins title in Mexico

Kimi Antonelli crossed the finish line at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on Sunday and immediately began to cry. The 20-year-old Mercedes driver took third place in the race, a result that locked in the Formula One world championship with 119 points over the nearest rival.

The young Italian became the youngest champion in the history of the sport, surpassing the record set by Sebastian Vettel in 2010. Antonelli was 20 years and 68 days old when the checkered flag fell. His victory in the title race came after a chaotic afternoon on the high-altitude track in Mexico City.

The season had built toward this moment for the German manufacturer. Antonelli had accumulated a steady lead throughout the year, but the gap to Max Verstappen remained manageable until the final races. On Sunday, the Mercedes driver needed only to finish ahead of his rivals to secure the crown. He did exactly that, finishing behind Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton.

The race itself was interrupted by two safety car deployments and a long halt. On lap 46, Valtteri Bottas crashed into the barriers at turn one after a suspension failure. The field stopped for 33 minutes with 25 laps remaining. When the cars restarted, Verstappen took the lead, but Antonelli stayed in contention.

Lewis Hamilton started from pole position for Ferrari but finished second after a battle with his teammate Charles Leclerc. The two drivers clashed in the opening laps, with Leclerc cutting a corner and going across the grass. Stewards gave Leclerc a five-second penalty, but Hamilton could not pass him after the pit stops. Hamilton told the crowd later that he was pushed out by his own teammate.

Antonelli’s race engineer Peter Bonnington called the driver over the radio after the finish. He told the young man to get in the car and declared him champion of the world. Antonelli replied that the team had done it and thanked them. His parents and sister waited at the pit lane to embrace him before his pit crew surrounded him in celebration.

The previous Italian world champion was Alberto Ascari, who won the title in 1953. That was 73 years ago. Antonelli wrapped an Italian flag around his shoulders on the podium and sprayed champagne. He told reporters that he backed off on the final lap because he was too emotional to see the track clearly.

Max Verstappen finished first in the race and moved into second place in the drivers' standings. Hamilton is third, and George Russell is fourth, 130 points behind Antonelli. Mercedes leads the constructors' standings with 630 points, ahead of Ferrari's 504. The teams can decide that title in Brazil next weekend.