Bottas escapes heavy Turn 1 crash as Mexico City GP is red-flagged

Valtteri Bottas escaped a heavy Turn 1 crash that red-flagged the Mexico City Grand Prix on Lap 45. The Cadillac driver climbed out and walked to the medical car after giving a thumbs-up, but the barriers and his car suffered significant damage.

Why it matters:

The stoppage froze a crucial title-deciding race. Kimi Antonelli is on the verge of becoming F1's youngest world champion, and the interruption reshuffled strategy at the front.

The details:

• Replays indicated a front-left suspension failure as Bottas braked for Turn 1.
• Max Verstappen led Charles Leclerc and Antonelli when the race was stopped.
• Antonelli had pitted on Lap 43, handing Verstappen the lead. Leclerc was second after a five-second penalty for an opening-lap incident with Lewis Hamilton.
• The Safety Car led to stops for Hamilton, George Russell and Oscar Piastri, moving Antonelli to third. He voiced frustration over the timing after stopping two laps earlier.

What's next:

Crews will repair the barriers before a restart. If the order holds, Antonelli will clinch the title.