F1Weekly Podcast # 1172

ON TODAYS PROGRAM… KIMI IS NOW FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPION! LCH AND LECLERC TWO LIONS IN A CAGE! ALMOST FORGOT…MAX WINS IN MEXICO AND….. FERNANDO SAYS….THIS THING SUCKS!!! THIS WEEK'S NASIR HAMEED CORNER... HISTORY OF THE ITALIAN GP AT MONZA, WE HAVE ANA BEATRICE DE BRAZIL, SEAN OF SPEED TV, SEBASTIEN VETTLE AND F1 TRIVIA…ENJOY! AND YES WE DO NEED YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO KEEP THIS PROGRAM ON THE AIR, JUST CLICK ON THE SUPPORT F1WEEKLY TAB YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO.

Verstappen second in Drivers' Championship after Mexican Grand Prix victory!

Oracle Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen delivered an inspired drive during a chaotic Mexico Grand Prix to surge from fifth on the grid to claim a superb victory for the third time this season as Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli secured the 2026 Formula One Drivers' Championship.

After locking-up during his final lap during Saturday's qualifying sessions, Verstappen qualified in fourth place for Sunday's race at the high-altitude Mexico City circuit. He was then dropped down to fifth courtesy of a one-place grid penalty handed down to him and Visa Cash APP Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson after a collision during Friday practice.

Knowing he needed a good start on a circuit with limited passing opportunities, Verstappen got a brilliant jump as the lights went out in Mexico, jumping up to second place in the opening few corners as Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton went off track battling for the lead.

Leclerc held the lead over Verstappen until both drivers pitted and the Ferrari driver served a five-second penalty for his first lap tangle with Hamilton, allowing Verstappen to take the lead for the first time.

From there, the Dutchman controlled the race and perfectly, despite the race being red flagged on Lap 46 after damage to the safety barriers, the risk of a full standing restart and a late Safety Car period.

He crossed the line just +0.799s ahead of Hamilton to secure his third win of the season, achieved in the space of only four races, while third place was enough make Antonelli the youngest ever F1 world champion.

The title is out of reach, but courtesy of his win there was more to cheer for Verstappen, who moved up to second place in the Drivers' Championship by two points ahead of Hamilton.

It was a tough race for Isack Hadjar in the second RB22, who was shunted into a spin on the opening lap by Mercedes driver George Russell and could only recover to 12th place despite pushing hard.

There was another points-scoring driver for Liam Lawson and Visa Cash App Racing Bulls with the New Zealander coming home in ninth position, but Arvid Lindblad left Mexico with a disappointing DNF after being hit by McLaren's Oscar Piastri late in the Grand Prix.

QUOTES

Oracle Red Bull Racing

MAX VERSTAPPEN – 1st

“It was a crazy race today and the first start and lap were crucial to the result. The team also made all the right calls: on both the strategy and when we went to box and take the lead from Charles on the penalty. Even after the red flag we had a really good start and, after that, it was just keeping the lead until the end. Ferrari were fast, but we executed everything well today, so it was amazing to get the win. Well done to Kimi, he has done such an incredible job this year, made barely any mistakes and he really deserves to win the championship. To achieve it at such a young age is amazing and it was a very special podium: I think it had to be that way with the three of us standing there with him. It was a really nice moment."

ISACK HADJAR – 12th

"Today was a real shame. We knew there was pace in the car coming into the race, so we just wanted to focus on getting a good start and that’s exactly what we did. I managed to get up to fifth and felt really strong through the first few corners. Unfortunately, George stuck a wheel up the inside at T6 and I was sent straight to the back. From then on, it was going to be so difficult to get back into the poi