Kimi Antonelli secured his first Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship in Mexico City just a few months after turning 20, becoming the youngest champion in the sport’s history. His title was the clearest highlight of a weekend marked by incidents both on and off the track.
Ferrari appeared to have a strong chance of winning, but once again handed victory to a rival. Red Bull took advantage, adding another chapter to Ferrari’s difficult season. The race also featured a last-minute driver change at Haas, synchronized retirements for both Aston Martin cars and a mechanical failure in which the wheels came off a Cadillac Racing car.
The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez presents distinctive technical challenges because of its altitude. The circuit sits 7,350 feet, or 2,240 meters, above sea level. At that elevation, aerodynamic wings produce much less downforce than they would at a track such as Monaco, creating levels more comparable to Monza. Following another car also provides less of a slipstream effect.
The thin air affects cooling and engine performance as well. Reduced airflow across the radiators can cause cooling problems, while the lower oxygen content limits the amount of power engines can produce. The circuit itself is mostly flat, with a low-grip surface, medium- and slow-speed corners, a stadium section and a long run from the start to the first turn.
Friday’s first practice included 10 rookie drivers replacing regular competitors. Each team is required to give a young or test driver two practice opportunities in each of its cars during a season. Cadillac faces a higher total because the American start-up is also supporting Colton Herta’s ambition to race in Formula 1.
Herta needs 40 points across three years to obtain the super license required to compete in F1. His IndyCar results were not consistent enough to provide all of those points: he finished 10th in 2023, second in 2024 and seventh in 2025. He therefore entered Formula 2 this year to learn the circuits and try to earn the remaining points through his championship performance.
Sources: Ars Technica.