Antonelli can clinch 2026 F1 title with top-nine finish in Mexico City

At the Mexico City Grand Prix, Kimi Antonelli can become Formula 1’s youngest world champion with a top-nine finish, a week after coming close in Austin. His United States Grand Prix victory opened the door, but Lewis Hamilton’s fourth place and George Russell’s eighth delayed the celebrations.

A top-nine finish guarantees the championship. Even 10th or lower can be enough if neither Hamilton nor Russell wins; if Antonelli finishes 10th, he can also clinch with Hamilton as race winner, but not if Russell wins.

Red Bull and McLaren are level on 355 points in the teams’ standings, with Red Bull ahead because it has more second-place finishes. Max Verstappen brings six consecutive podiums to Mexico, while McLaren showed flashes of pace in Austin.

Sergio Perez is set to make his 300th Formula 1 start in front of his home crowd for Cadillac. He has agreed a contract extension to remain with the team until at least 2029. Two rookies will also make their FP1 debuts: F2 race winner Nikola Tsolov for Racing Bulls and F3 runner-up Freddie Slater for Audi.

The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez is the highest circuit on the calendar, at 2,200 metres above sea level. Its thin air means less aerodynamic downforce and makes cooling a challenge for the teams.