Kimi Antonelli can clinch F1 title in Mexico City with two points on Sunday
Kimi Antonelli can secure the Formula One world championship at the Mexican Grand Prix in Mexico City on Sunday, needing just two points to clinch the title. The 20-year-old Italian arrives at the event with a commanding lead and the mathematical chance to become the youngest driver to win the world championship.
Italy has not had a Formula One world champion since Alberto Ascari, who won back-to-back titles in 1952 and 1953, and Antonelli would end a 73-year national drought if he triumphs. Now in his second season, the driver from Bologna has won nine of the 18 races so far and holds a 123-point advantage in the standings. A top-nine finish will be sufficient for the championship even if Mercedes team-mate George Russell takes victory.
Antonelli’s preparations were interrupted when he missed Thursday’s media commitments after coming down with a viral infection, but he returned to the car on Friday and posted second in the opening practice session and fourth in FP2. The nine wins this season have positioned him as the dominant driver of the campaign and underpin the points buffer he carries into Mexico City. He has spoken about maintaining his usual mindset and enjoying the final stretch of the season rather than being distracted by the title possibility.
Ferrari showed strong pace in Friday running, with Charles Leclerc topping both practice sessions — fastest in the morning and faster again in the afternoon — and finishing ahead of Antonelli in FP1 while leading Lando Norris and Russell in FP2. Norris was second in the afternoon session and arrives at a venue he won last year with promising speed. Lewis Hamilton experienced a more troubled session, losing power and stopping on track, while Max Verstappen, who has won five of his last eight appearances in Mexico, made contact with Liam Lawson during FP2.
George Russell has won three races this season to Antonelli’s nine and has acknowledged the Italian’s higher level of performance, while also pointing to the difficulty of adapting to the current generation of cars and saying the machinery has not suited his driving style. Russell has stressed that one difficult season will not define his career and has noted his belief he has time to return to the front. The contrast between the Mercedes stablemates — Antonelli pushing for a title and Russell seeking answers — remains one of the weekend’s narratives.
Sergio Perez will mark his 300th Grand Prix start in front of his home crowd in Mexico City after missing last year’s Mexican Grand Prix following his departure from Red Bull at the end of 2024. The milestone adds local significance to the weekend even though Cadillac is not expected to contend for victory. On the constructors’ side, Red Bull and McLaren are level on points with Red Bull ahead on countback, Audi and Haas lie seven points apart in the fight for seventh, and Mercedes could mathematically secure the constructors’ title in Mexico though Brazil is described as a more realistic opportunity.
Two points are all Antonelli needs on Sunday to clinch the drivers’ championship at the Mexican Grand Prix, and the result of this race will decide whether he becomes the youngest Formula One world champion and Italy’s first title winner since Ascari.