Liam Lawson’s brutal weekend at the Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix has ended on a positive note, recording an unlikely seventh-place finish in Monday’s main race, as Kimi Antonelli made history as the youngest champion in F1 history.
Starting from pit lane after being disqualified from qualifying due to a technical infringement, the Racing Bulls driver defied his lowly positioning to work his way up the field at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez and into the points for a fourth consecutive race.
Lawson crossed the line in ninth but was promoted to eighth following a post-race penalty for McLaren's Oscar Piastri, completing an impressive comeback after a difficult weekend.
He was later promoted to seventh after Alpine duo Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly, who crossed the line in P8 and P10 respectively, both received penalties for separate yellow flag infringements.
Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen claimed the top of the podium, followed by Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, with Antonelli’s third-place finish securing the 20-year-old the 2026 crown.
The Mercedes driver sealed the championship after a standout season with four races still remaining, becoming the first Italian to win the title since Alberto Ascari in 1963.
Antonelli took an unassailable lead in the standings over teammate George Russell and Hamilton, emerging as a championship contender in a season Russell had entered as the favourite.
At 20 years and 68 days old, Antonelli broke the championship record previously held by Sebastian Vettel, who became the youngest world champion at 23 in 2010.
"Thank you so much, we did it. We did it, thank you so much, thank you," a tearful Antonelli said on team radio after securing the title.
"I would not be here, without Mercedes and my family, I am speechless just trying to process this," he said after the race.
"It has been an incredible season."
The race in Mexico itself was not without drama, with proceedings halted on lap 46 following a high-speed crash involving Cadillac's Valtteri Bottas, who suffered a suspension failure. Two yellow flags were also shown during the race.
Lawson's Racing Bulls teammate Arvid Lindblad, was running until seventh until he collided with McLaren's Piastri and crashed out of the race. Piastri was penalised for the incident and dropped from P7 to P15 in the race classification.
As a result of the post-race penalties given to Piastri, Gasly and Colapinto, Haas driver Ryo Hirakawa, filling in for Esteban Ocon, was awarded P10 and took home a point at his debut Grand Prix.
For Lawson, the result consolidates his position in ninth in the drivers’ championship standings and provides another strong impression on his employers, as he looks to secure his seat for 2027.
It completes what would otherwise have been a forgettable event for the Lawson, who was also involved in a clash with Red Bull’s Verstappen during practice which resulted in a one-place grid penalty for qualifying.
His weekend went from bad to worse when he was then sent to the back of the grid for a technical infringement in qualifying.
The 24-year-old fought his way through the field and into the points, although he faced a late investigation from the stewards over an incident involving Alpine's Gasly. No further action was taken.
Lawson will look to extend his point-scoring streak at next week’s Brazilian Grand Prix.
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