Mercedes celebrate Antonelli's maiden title as Russell rues Mexico deployment issue

Kimi Antonelli is a Formula 1 world champion. The Mercedes driver finished third in Mexico City, doing more than enough to seal his maiden title with four rounds remaining. He needed only ninth, but a patient drive and a decisive restart move on Charles Leclerc turned a tense afternoon into a podium celebration.

Why it matters:

Antonelli's title, at 20 and in only his second season, validates Mercedes' long-term bet on him and caps a remarkable turnaround after a difficult rookie campaign. It also gives the team a drivers' crown to protect as it chases the constructors' title.

The details:

• Antonelli managed a long first stint on softs beyond 40 laps, but the red flag erased Mercedes' tyre advantage.
• He restarted fourth and passed Leclerc, who had a flat spot, to return to the podium places.
• George Russell's race unravelled early: a deployment issue on the run to Turn 1 cost him positions, then contact with Isack Hadjar brought a 10-second penalty. He recovered to sixth.
• Toto Wolff praised Antonelli's maturity and admitted Mercedes have "let George down" too often this season. Andrew Shovlin said the deployment problem compromised Russell from the start.

What's next:

Mercedes will celebrate in Mexico City before turning to Brazil, where it can add the constructors' championship. For Russell, the focus is a clean weekend; for Antonelli, the challenge is finishing a title-winning season with the same control.