The Mexican Grand Prix began with a major championship opportunity for Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who could secure the Formula 1 world title at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. The Italian only needs to finish in the top nine, or see George Russell and Lewis Hamilton fail to win, to take the championship and surpass Sebastian Vettel as the youngest title winner in history.
Hamilton started from pole position ahead of Russell, Charles Leclerc and Antonelli. Max Verstappen lined up fifth, Lando Norris sixth and Oscar Piastri 12th. Antonelli initially showed stronger pace than Norris, although Verstappen, Leclerc and Hamilton reduced the gap to the front during the early stages.
The race was interrupted by problems for Aston Martin. Stroll stopped on lap six because of a failure, followed by Alonso, who also reported trouble and returned to the pits before retiring. The two cars suffered abnormal power-unit pressure issues, prompting a yellow flag and a Virtual Safety Car period. Stroll’s retirement was his 12th of the 2026 season.
The opening laps also brought penalties and position changes. Russell received a 10-second penalty after an incident with Isack Hadjar, who spun and dropped to the back. Leclerc was given a five-second penalty after running off at turn five and gaining an advantage, while an incident involving Hamilton and Leclerc was investigated without a penalty being issued against Hamilton.
Leclerc took the lead after the opening sequence, with Verstappen moving into second and Hamilton losing ground. The Ferrari driver repeatedly set the fastest lap while running on soft tyres, with Verstappen close behind on the medium compound. Hamilton later entered the pits and rejoined behind Leclerc, while Verstappen and Leclerc also made their stops as the leading strategies began to unfold.
The soft tyres degraded less than expected, and several drivers delayed their stops. Norris was told by radio to hold position and wait for a possible Safety Car, while the leaders managed their tyres and attempted to avoid traffic from lapped cars. At one stage, Leclerc, Verstappen, Hamilton, Antonelli, Russell, Norris, Piastri, Lindblad, Colapinto and Hulkenberg occupied the points-paying positions.
Russell completed his penalty and emerged in eighth place after his stop. Hamilton continued to set quick laps, while Verstappen increased the pressure on Norris and Russell. Antonelli briefly led the race during the pit-stop cycle, although the order remained provisional while several drivers had yet to stop.
The Mexican race carries particular significance for Antonelli. At 20 years old, he could beat Vettel’s record of 23 years, four months and 11 days if he secures the championship. The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez has previously hosted six title-deciding victories if Antonelli succeeds, joining a list that includes John Surtees, Denny Hulme, Graham Hill and Hamilton.
Hamilton’s pole was also notable, making him the fifth-oldest driver to start a Formula 1 race from first place. Meanwhile, Sergio Pérez reached 255 completed grands prix, moving ahead of Vettel into fourth place on the all-time list of race finishers, and was competing in his 300th Grand Prix at home.
Sources: El País Deportes.