MEXICO CITY (AP) — After crossing the finish line of the Mexico Grand Prix behind race winner Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, F1 history maker Kimi Antonelli put his hands on the steering wheel and his voice cracked as he said, “We did it, we did it.” »
Although the 20-year-old Mercedes driver finished third on Sunday in the Mexican capital, he became the youngest champion in Formula 1 history.
“I’m still trying to realize and understand what just happened, when you work so hard and you finally achieve it, it’s really special,” said Antonelli, accompanied by his parents and younger sister. “All the emotions come, being able to witness this moment with my family is a moment I will always remember.”
Antonelli, who won the title with four races remaining, said the final lap was complicated by the excitement of what he had accomplished – he began to savor it before he even crossed the finish line.
“I think I lost two seconds because I couldn’t see in front of me, I think I saw two Ferraris,” he said with a smile. “It was very special, a lot of memories came to my mind at that moment, and I let it all out after realizing one of my biggest dreams.
Antonelli, the first Italian winner of the title since Alberto Ascari in 1953, took an unassailable lead in the standings over his teammate George Russell and Ferrari’s Hamilton.
Sebastian Vettel was the previous youngest champion at 23 in 2010.
Even though the Italian driver knew, after winning the United States Grand Prix, that the title was within his reach, his first days in Mexico were not easy; he fell ill, even though he claimed on Sunday to be in the best physical shape.
But the biggest challenge was the mental battle of having the feat so close to his grasp.
“It wasn’t an easy weekend; I kept hearing the same thing over and over again. It’s not easy to hear congratulations for a victory when the work isn’t done yet. But hearing it over and over again made me realize I could actually do it.”
Verstappen, meanwhile, took his sixth victory at the Mexico Grand Prix, further cementing his affinity with the circuit.
“The ‘Max-ico’ Grand Prix will be a good name to call it,” Verstappen said with a laugh. “To be honest, I love the city and the fans, but I don’t know why I won it six years ago, it just happened. It’s still happening for me here.”
A new Italian champion
“For 73 years our country has been waiting for this moment, and today an entire nation will celebrate one of its own reaching the pinnacle of our sport,” said Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali.
“Today his name joins the legends of our sport. A new chapter in the history of Formula 1 has been written, and I firmly believe this is only the beginning of an extraordinary legacy.”
Race stopped
The race was stopped on lap 46 with a red flag after Valtteri Bottas crashed into the wall at the first corner, following problems with his right suspension.
Cadillac said the driver underwent “additional medical evaluations as a precaution.” Bottas got out of the car unassisted and waved to the fans before leaving the track.
At the restart, Verstappen was first – followed by Charles Leclerc, Hamilton, Antonelli, Lando Norris and Russell – and the Red Bull driver did not let victory slip away.
After Mexico, F1 will travel to Brazil and then Las Vegas. It remains uncertain whether the last two scheduled Grands Prix – in Qatar and Abu Dhabi – will take place, given the instability in the region.
Ferrari’s disgruntled teammates
Hamilton, who had obtained pole position on Saturday, lost it in the fourth round while battling for the lead with Leclerc. Hamilton briefly left the track, dropping to third place.
The maneuver between the two Ferrari drivers was investigated, resulting in a five-second penalty for Leclerc – a decision which left seven-time world champion Hamilton angry.
“The stewards are basically giving this victory to Charles. We agreed at the drivers’ briefing,” Hamilton said. “The problem with a 5-second penalty is that he has clean air and doesn’t have to manage (the car) like the rest of us. He should have just surrendered his position.”
Shortly before the red flag was raised by Bottas’ accident, Hamilton said via radio: “We have problems… big, big problems.” As he entered the garage, he seemed visibly frustrated with his team.
Leclerc said after the race that he wanted to give the position back to Hamilton, but Verstappen came between them.
“At that point it didn’t matter because Max passed us and the race was over,” Hamilton said. “I’m happy, but we lost valuable points, we could have easily been 1-2 today, but your teammate is working against you, we just have to understand that and something definitely has to change.”
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