Kimi Antonelli was on course to secure the Formula One drivers' title at the Mexican Grand Prix on Sunday, needing only to finish ninth or better, according to The Guardian's live coverage of the race in Mexico City. With the race running deep into its final laps, the Mercedes driver held third place behind Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. The Guardian reported that the only way Antonelli could miss out on the championship was a catastrophic failure on his side combined with Hamilton overtaking Verstappen, or an implausible sequence of retirements ahead of George Russell.
The afternoon had been anything but straightforward. Charles Leclerc, who had led early, was penalised while running at the front, and a safety car period was followed by a red flag that stopped the race and set up a standing restart. The Guardian described the restart as "fraught," with Hamilton lining up behind Leclerc and hoping Verstappen would get away cleanly enough to open a gap.
Why it matters
A title for Antonelli would complete a remarkable rise for the Italian, who has been racing at the front of the field throughout the season. The Guardian noted that even a ninth-place finish would be enough to seal the crown, a measure of how close he has come to the championship. The result would also settle the season's central question with races still to run, shifting attention to the constructors' standings and to how Mercedes and its rivals approach the remaining rounds.
A race of reversals
The Guardian's lap-by-lap account traced a race that changed shape repeatedly. Leclerc had been the early leader but was handed a penalty, and the running order was reshuffled by a safety car and then a red flag. Before the restart, The Guardian published revised standings as the field waited for the race to resume.
When racing got going again, Verstappen led from Hamilton, with Antonelli third. The Guardian reported that Hamilton moved past Leclerc and that Antonelli followed him through, while Leclerc's tyres developed a flat spot that left him vulnerable. Norris, running behind Leclerc, was told by his team about the damaged tyre and replied that he could already see it. The Guardian observed that Leclerc was still holding off Norris despite the problem, and that Russell sat behind that battle, waiting for either driver to make a mistake.
Further back, the race produced its own dramas. The Guardian reported that Oscar Piastri and Arvid Lindblad made contact, with Lindblad's car coming to rest against the wall and debris left on track. Piastri asked his team whether the damage was minor or serious and was told it was "a reasonable amount of damage." The stewards were expected to review the incident after the race, a decision The Guardian suggested would be harsh on the parties involved. Oliver Bearman retired from the race, and Nico Hülkenberg was placed under investigation over his start.
The Guardian also highlighted Liam Lawson's drive, noting that he had begun the race from pit road and had climbed to tenth, inside the points. Hamilton set the fastest lap at one stage, and The Guardian reported that Verstappen had been noted for being out of position at the restart, adding another layer to a race already full of incidents. Hamilton asked his team to look into contact with Verstappen, though his team did not believe the car had sustained significant damage.
What to watch
With the laps running down, the championship picture rested on Antonelli keeping his car on track. The Guardian's assessment was blunt: barring a major problem for the Italian while Hamilton found a way past Verstappen, the title was his. The stewards' post-race review of the Piastri-Lindblad contact and the other noted incidents will determine whether the final classification changes after the chequered flag.
