Antonelli crowned 2026 F1 champion as Piastri penalty reshuffles Mexico standings

Kimi Antonelli is the 2026 Formula 1 world champion. The Mercedes driver finished third at the Mexico City Grand Prix to lock up the title on 380 points — becoming the youngest champion in F1 history, the 36th different title-winner, and the first Italian to claim the crown in 73 years.

Why it matters:

Antonelli's title ends a long stretch of Dutch dominance and confirms Mercedes' return to the front under the current power unit regulations. For a driver who only arrived on the grid in 2025, sealing the championship with races to spare is a statement the rest of the paddock will spend the winter studying.

The details:

• Max Verstappen won at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez and moved to second on 261 points, two clear of Lewis Hamilton (259), with George Russell fourth on 250.
• A post-race 10-second time penalty dropped Oscar Piastri from seventh at the flag to 16th, costing the McLaren driver six points.
• The reshuffle lifted Franco Colapinto, Liam Lawson and Pierre Gasly, while Gabriel Bortoleto picked up an unexpected point for Audi.
• Charles Leclerc sits fifth on 245, with Lando Norris sixth on 221 — the McLaren pair now 159 points adrift of the lead.

The big picture:

Mercedes' late-season form has turned what looked like a three-way fight into a procession at the front, while the midfield order behind the top four teams is separated by fractions that Piastri's penalty has scrambled once again.

What's next:

Attention shifts to the constructors' championship, where Mercedes will look to convert Antonelli's crown into a double, while Verstappen and Hamilton scrap over second with the remaining rounds deciding the final placings.