Antonelli crossed the finish line behind race winner Max Verstappen of Red Bull and second-place finisher Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari. The high-altitude event at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez was heavily disrupted by multiple crashes and two safety car deployments. A red flag ultimately halted the contest for 33 minutes with only 25 of the scheduled 71 laps left to run. Antonelli's podium finish provided the necessary points to close out the championship battle.
Key points
A third-place finish allowed Kimi Antonelli to build an insurmountable 119-point overall…: A third-place finish allowed Kimi Antonelli to build an insurmountable 119-point overall lead.
The championship victory ended a long national drought by crowning Italy's first title wi…: The championship victory ended a long national drought by crowning Italy's first title winner since 1953.
Antonelli successfully navigated a chaotic race at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez to claim…: Antonelli successfully navigated a chaotic race at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez to claim the world championship.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
MEXICO CITY: Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli became Formula One's youngest world champion at 20 years old on Sunday (Nov 1) in a red-flagged and restarted Mexico City Grand Prix won by Red Bull's Max Verstappen.
The first Italian champion since 1953 finished third, sobbing with joy over the team radio as he took the chequered flag at the high-altitude Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, with his overall lead now an unassailable 119 points.
Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton started from pole position and took a close second place on an afternoon of drama with two safety cars, multiple crashes and an agonising 33-minute halt with 25 of the 71 laps remaining.
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