Verstappen's 'Maxico' Request as Mercedes Explains Russell's Early Mexico Exit

Kimi Antonelli left Mexico City as Formula 1's newest world champion, but the weekend's loudest talking points happened away from the timing screens. Max Verstappen won the race, Ferrari's drivers were at each other again, and Mercedes found itself explaining why George Russell walked out early.

Why it matters:

Antonelli's coronation caps a remarkable rise, yet it lands with his own teammate visibly struggling to process it. Russell's decision to skip post-race media duties — confirmed by Mercedes — and the "distraught" framing attached to it raises an awkward question about how the Silver Arrows now manage a garage housing both a champion and a driver who expected that crown to be his.

The details:

• Verstappen took another Mexico City win and set a new record in the process, then joked the race should be renamed "Maxico".
• Mercedes confirmed Russell skipped his media appearances after being "distraught" over Antonelli's title success.
• Hamilton publicly scolded Leclerc over his "do or die" approach to wheel-to-wheel racing, suggesting his teammate needs a mentality shift.
• Alonso said Aston Martin and Honda "underestimated" their Mexico "moment of truth", with power unit failures wrecking his weekend.
• Antonelli admitted he "couldn't see" the track on the final lap and lost two seconds, but still brought the title home.
• Karting's 70th anniversary drew reflections from Norris and Leclerc ahead of the FIA Karting World Championship.

What's next:

São Paulo comes immediately, and it will be fascinating. Russell has to front up to his reaction, Ferrari's management has a genuine intra-team dispute to defuse, and Honda needs answers on reliability before the season's final stretch.