Overview
- Kimi Antonelli secured the 2026 drivers’ championship with a third-place finish in Mexico City on Saturday and became the youngest-ever F1 champion at 20 years old.
- After the race Antonelli said he will not adopt the champion’s No. 1 for 2027 and will retain his No. 12 as a way to stay grounded and because he considers No. 1 unlucky.
- George Russell skipped mandatory post-race media duties in Mexico, drew a €5,000 fine paid by Mercedes, and posted an emotional message calling 2026 the hardest season of his career.
- Antonelli and Mercedes repeatedly pointed to midseason reliability issues and a power‑unit failure that forced an early change and a Monza grid penalty as key setbacks that shaped the title fight.
- The win has reopened talk in Italy about a future move to Ferrari but Mercedes insists Antonelli is the product of a long development programme and Antonelli expects next season to be a tight contest involving Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren.