2026 Mexico GP: Bow to the New King!
MexicoGP gave us Campione Del Mondo Andrea Kimi Antonelli as he seals the deal with a P3 as Max Verstappen wins for the third time in four races, and more fireworks burst in the Scuderia camp
I cannot remember the last time I took a day off from work because I slept in so late after watching an F1 Grand Prix. But for Kimi Antonelli, it all made sense. All that he needed to clinch his first-ever World Championship and become the sport’s youngest ever to do so was a mere P9 or above at the MexicoGP, but no, he had to show off his talents once again and get on that podium. Thankfully, it all went in his favour, and we got to see that sensational shot of Max and Lewis lifting him on their shoulders. Oh, the teary eyes that followed.
There was one more reason why I got teary-eyed, and it is not what you think. Enter the Scuderia. Pardon my French, but what the hell is happening over at Ferrari?! They probably had the best chance to somehow make it work and have both the drivers finish on the podium at the MexicoGP, if not a win from either of them, but no, everybody had to be a hero. I understand that adrenaline often takes over the sense of right or wrong, but what Charles did. Sorry, how Charles did it was unacceptable. Similarly, Lewis asking, or rather instructing, his team to get his teammate penalized was a bit too much to handle. More on this later.
Now, the MexicoGP winner: Red Bull’s strategy and the oh-so-amazing Hannah Schmitz can only work to a certain extent. After that, everyone has to rely on Max Verstappen’s sheer exuberance. Just like last season, Max started the year with his fair share of difficulties with the car, but once the team understood what needed to be done, they introduced the upgraded car, and boy, did it work in their favour. Max now has three wins out of the last four races, and currently sits P2 in the World Championship. Knowing Max, it would not mean much to him, but there’s still a race to win (thank you, Seb) in terms of the all-important Constructors’ Championship. If anything, this should give him much more energy and confidence (as if he ever needed it) going into 2027. There is a reason why the entire grid and true fanatics of the sport regard him as one of the very best.
Moving down the order, we had the now-former World Champion Lando Norris finishing in P5 at the MexicoGP, ahead of a dejected George Russell in P6. They say that you should never announce to the world that you have arrived, even before you have reached the station. Throwback to the opening race of the season. In Australia, Kimi was still getting up to speed with the Silver Arrow, while Russell was already on his fourth stint with the Brackley outfit.
This is not to say that George isn’t a quick and capable driver. Toto knows that he is; hence, he stuck around for as long as he did, but Toto also knew the potential that Kimi had, and with the right amount of coaching, he did what Toto saw him doing in his dreams. He worked in silence, much to the dismay of George. He was quick this season, but Antonelli was miles ahead. We have now reached that stage where a driver who was once touted to finally become a World Champion might even slide to P5 in the standings. Defeat, he must accept.
After a strong set of post-race penalties for a handful of drivers, Liam Lawson, having been so naughty during Friday and even getting DSQ’d after qualifying, finished in P7, having started the race from the pit lane. Oh, to make matters interesting, Lawson still does not have a seat on the grid for next season. A cruel, cruel world. Following him was Gabriel Bortoleto, scoring crucial points for the Audi team.
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In case you thought that George’s luck could not get any worse, he had a tangle with Isack Hadjar on the opening lap of the race, which pushed Isack down the order and awarded a 10-sec time penalty for the British driver. Still, thanks to Isack’s grit and never-ending anger, he was able to score a P9. Though if Max had been in his place, he would’ve easily gotten a P5 finish. However, not too bad for a Number 2 driver, eh?
The final point of MexicoGP, after all the drama, crashes, breakdowns, penalties, and crying over the radio, went to the latest debutant in F1: Ryo Hirakawa. All that could go wrong over at Haas with Ocon’s behaviour and Ayao Komatsu’s way of dealing with the crisis did go wrong, but fortunately enough, Ryo was there to pick up the pieces. Literally. He is now rested for the São Paulo Grand Prix, as he’s himself fighting for the World Endurance Championship this Sunday. Replacing him is Rafael Camara at his home event, who gets an early date with the Haas team before joining them full-time next year.
That was pretty much it from the MexicoGP. Triumphs, glory, new records in the history books, redemption, and most importantly, Ferrari’s eagerness to screw things up again. Lewis finished the race in P2, with Charles in P4. Ever since the former’s comments on his teammate’s potential kill-or-get-killed attitude surfaced online, it hasn’t looked good for either of them. Charles will always remain Ferrari’s Wonder Boy. Hence, he was picked up and signed for life. On the other hand, Lewis possesses the skills, knowledge, and a certain experience to give the Tifosi what they truly deserve – a first title in Red since 2007. The Maranello outfit now has to decide what it wants more: keep a driver happy who might never win a Championship, or rely on a driver who’s hungrier than ever to get his 8th title fair and square.
