The Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team experienced contrasting fortunes at the Mexico City Grand Prix, celebrating a historic championship victory on one side of the garage while dealing with a costly mechanical failure on the other. Kimi Antonelli secured the 2026 F1 World Drivers' Championship, while George Russell's race was compromised by a battery deployment issue that affected his opening lap.
Key Highlights from Mercedes' Mexico City GP
- Kimi Antonelli became the youngest Formula 1 World Drivers' Champion in history at just 20 years old.
- The Italian managed his soft tyres for more than 40 laps before securing a third-place finish after the Lap 45 red flag restart.
- George Russell lost several positions following a battery deployment failure on the run to Turn 1.
- Mercedes Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin accepted responsibility for Russell's difficult start and outlined the team's Constructors' Championship ambitions.
Antonelli Makes History: A New F1 Champion Crowned in Mexico
Kimi Antonelli secured the 2026 F1 World Drivers' Championship after a controlled performance at the Mexico City Grand Prix, becoming the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history. Mercedes Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin praised the Italian's tyre management, particularly his ability to extend his opening stint on the soft compound beyond 40 laps.
"Congratulations to Kimi on his first world championship," Shovlin said after the race. "It was quite an eventful race, but he did a really good job managing the Soft tyre in the first stint and was able to run it beyond 40 laps."
Strong Restart Secures Antonelli's Podium Finish
Although the Lap 45 red flag removed the strategic advantage Antonelli had built through his extended opening stint, the young driver maintained his composure after the restart. Starting again from P4, Antonelli made a decisive move on Ferrari's Charles Leclerc to return to the podium positions.
Shovlin was particularly impressed with how Antonelli handled the pressure of the race and the importance of the result. He eventually finished third behind race winner Max Verstappen and teammate Lewis Hamilton, securing the points needed to clinch the championship.
"He restarted P4 but made a very good move on Leclerc to get back into the podium positions and drove a very controlled race from there to take P3 and the title," he explained. "He has driven superbly across the season and the way he handled the race today, with everything that was at stake, was another demonstration of the progress he has made."
Russell's Mexico GP Struggles: Battery Failure Compromises His Race
While Antonelli celebrated his championship success, George Russell endured a difficult afternoon on the other side of the Mercedes garage. Starting from second on the grid, Russell suffered a battery deployment failure on the run to Turn 1.
The loss of electrical energy cost him several positions along the main straight, immediately putting him on the back foot. The early setback forced Russell to recover through traffic, making it harder to get his race back on track.
Hadjar Collision Adds to Russell's Difficult Afternoon
Russell's recovery attempt became even more challenging following contact with Red Bull's Isack Hadjar at Turn 6. The incident resulted in a 10-second time penalty, further affecting his chances of making up positions. Despite the early technical issue, contact and penalty, Russell managed to recover to sixth place by the end of the race.
Shovlin acknowledged that the British driver had been put in a difficult position through no fault of his own, with the initial deployment problem affecting the rest of his afternoon.
"The deployment issue on the run to Turn 1 cost him several positions and put him on the back foot from the very start. From there, he was having to recover in traffic, and the contact with Hadjar and subsequent penalty made that task harder."
Mercedes engineering director Andrew Shovlin also took responsibility for the team's failure to give Russell the start he needed, admitting that the issue was down to the team.
Photo by: Alastair Staley / LAT Images via Getty Images
Mercedes Turns Attention to Constructors' Championship
With the Drivers' Championship secured, Mercedes now has another major objective as the Formula 1 calendar moves to the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos. Shovlin made it clear that the team intends to continue fighting, with the Constructors' Championship now firmly in its sights.
"We have plenty to focus on as we head to Brazil," he said. "We want to add the Constructors' Championship to the Drivers' title, and we know we still must deliver the performances to do that. We'll enjoy today, then turn our attention very quickly to the next race."
After a weekend of contrasting results in Mexico, Mercedes will look to carry Antonelli's championship momentum into Brazil while addressing the technical issues that affected Russell. With the Drivers' title already secured, the team now has its sights set on completing the season with another championship.
