MEXICO CITY — Max Verstappen won the 2026 Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in front of 155,352 fans, bringing the total attendance for the weekend to 405,363.
Kimi Antonelli was crowned the sport’s youngest world champion.
Mexico produced yet another day of high drama: a first-lap clash between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc that cost Ferrari the race win, an opportunistic move by Verstappen to take advantage, two Safety Car interventions and, throughout it all, Antonelli keeping his cool to claim the title at the age of 20 years and 68 days.
“We did it, we did it!” said the tearful Italian, the first man from his country to win the World Championship since Alberto Ascari 73 years ago. “I wouldn’t be here without Mercedes, without my family, so I’m very grateful for this moment – it’s one that will live forever.”
The 71-lap race hinged on the long run to Turn 1: starting fifth, Verstappen forced his Red Bull up into third for the first corner, then pounced when Hamilton and Leclerc clashed at Turn 4, a move that cost Leclerc a five-second penalty.
Verstappen slotted into second place, bided his time and took the lead when the first pit stops began after 27 laps. He then managed the restart perfectly to keep Hamilton at bay after the race was halted following a heavy accident involving Valtteri Bottas’s Cadillac after 46 laps.
“It was very hectic out there, I think, today, but the first start already made the race for me. It’s such a long run to Turn 1,” Verstappen explained after his third win of 2026 and the 74th of his F-1 career. “That is always the tradition here into Turn 1: there are two cars fighting for the lead.
“I had a very good first lap and after that, we had a little bit different strategy. I did think we lacked a little bit of pace, but we made the right calls at the right time. The penalty for Charles put us into the lead and then you could see they were always staying with me. I was sweating at the end trying to keep Lewis behind.”
Between those two, Hamilton came home a gallant but frustrated second. “It’s been a tough day,” said the two-time Mexico winner. “I think we had the pace to win today, but it wasn’t meant to be.” Sir Lewis had the minor satisfaction of setting the fastest lap of 1 minute 19.268 seconds, at an average speed of 195.468 km/h, on lap 50 as he hunted Verstappen.
The man who started from his 105th F-1 pole was adamant that Leclerc should have been punished more heavily. “If you go off in Turn 1, you have to give the position back,” he insisted. “Last year I was given a 10-second penalty for that same move he did, but ultimately it was that that lost us the win today. We have to have some serious talks behind the scenes, for sure.”
While the podium welcomed three world champions, a fourth was also left frustrated: Lando Norris’s McLaren got stuck behind George Russell’s Mercedes in the first part of the race, and then behind Leclerc’s Ferrari – hampered by a flat-spotted front-left tire – in the second. Norris had to settle for fifth in a race he won last year.
The second Safety Car was triggered when Arvid Lindblad’s Racing Bulls ended up in the wall at Turn 2 following a collision with Oscar Piastri’s McLaren. The Australian fought back well from 13th place on the grid to finish seventh in the second McLaren.
Russell overcame a 10-second penalty for nudging Isack Hadjar’s Red Bull off track on the opening lap to bring the second Mercedes home sixth, while Alpine enjoyed another good day, with Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly eighth and 10th, sandwiching Liam Lawson’s Racing Bulls between them.
