The champagne flowed deep into the Mexican night as Kimi Antonelli and his family celebrated what 20-year-olds aren’t supposed to achieve, a Formula One world championship. Italy’s first world champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953.
Also read: Tears and triumph as Antonelli becomes youngest F1 champion
The race itself served up classic F1 chaos, accidents, discord, tears and drama swirling around the young Italian as he secured the crown. But three lessons emerged from the mayhem that tell us everything about where the sport is heading.
The making of a dynasty
Modesty doesn’t often feature in the elite athlete’s toolkit, yet Antonelli channelled footballer Harry Kane’s recent Ballon d’Or humility by crediting family, friends, team and relentless graft for his success. That grounded perspective, reinforced by living near the family home in San Marino, hand-washing his own car weekly and maintaining a love for pranks, provides the foundation for sustained excellence.
His respect for F1’s established order shone through when he declared his intention to frame the podium photograph showing him hoisted on the shoulders of race winner Max Verstappen and runner-up Lewis Hamilton. “It’s such an incredible moment,” Antonelli said of sharing the podium with two drivers boasting 11 world titles between them. “I will put it in my house to see it, so much respect from two incredible drivers who have made history.”
Race engineer Peter ‘Bono’ Bonnington, the voice guiding Hamilton to six Mercedes titles, praised Antonelli’s phenomenal memory and capacity to absorb information at frightening speed. Combined with natural pace and an instinctive sense of fun, the Italian appears destined to join Verstappen and Hamilton as a multiple champion.
Outgoing champion Lando Norris of McLaren summed it up bluntly: “He’s made everyone look silly. He’s worked hard to understand how to drive this car and he exploited it better than anyone else.”
Ferrari’s familiar frustration
Once again, Ferrari proved masters of self-destruction despite possessing the fastest car and pole position. A one-two finish beckoned before Charles Leclerc lunged at Hamilton at turn four on the opening lap, gifting Verstappen victory and triggering Hamilton’s furious post-race assessment.
Also read: Hamilton and Leclerc clash costs Ferrari victory in Mexico meltdown
“At Mercedes, I witnessed Charles and Carlos (Sainz) battling so much that the person ahead just pulled away, yet they had the pace to win,” Hamilton said, calling for serious talks after declaring “we’ve got problems, big problems” mid-race.
His verdict was withering: “The guy (Leclerc) is 28, so I don’t think it’s an age thing. It’s a mentality thing. It’s like ‘do or die’, either I win or none of us do and it shouldn’t be. It should be us getting a one-two because it’s still a good feeling.”
Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel know the feeling, both joined Ferrari chasing constructors’ glory, both departed frustrated.
Russell’s miserable day
George Russell’s weekend collapsed spectacularly, starting second, finishing sixth and skipping mandatory media duties, earning Mercedes a fine. Team boss Toto Wolff admitted they’d let Russell down with an unresponsive car, leaving the Briton watching Antonelli’s celebrations from the outside.
His wretched season stands in stark contrast to his young teammate’s triumph, but Wolff has promised a more reliable package for 2027. Russell will need it.
