ANTONELLI “LOST TWO SECONDS BECAUSE I WAS CRYING” AT END OF MEXICAN GP

Andrea Kimi Antonelli clinched the world championship with a third-place finish in Mexico, then admitted he nearly binned it on the final lap because he was already in tears. The Mercedes driver lost 1.8 seconds over the last tour, struggling to see through the emotion. "I couldn't see clearly ahead," the 20-year-old said. "I was like, 'I'm just going to back off because otherwise I crash here.'"

The title was a formality entering the weekend — Antonelli needed just two points to lock it up — but he still delivered when it counted. After a cautious opening start, he attacked harder following the red flag, making a crucial pass on Charles Leclerc that secured the podium and the youngest championship in F1 history. Five years from karts to world champion. With the pressure off and a few races remaining, Mercedes can finally exhale and let their 20-year-old prodigy enjoy what he's built.