Winners and losers from F1's record-breaking Mexico Grand Prix

Motorsport photoSuperlatives are running out to describe Kimi Antonelli's unprecedented ascent to power over the 2026 season. At the Mexico Grand Prix, Formula 1's new ruler received the coronation his campaign deserved.Winner: Kimi AntonelliAntonelli's title triumph may have been a foregone conclusion at this point, but that only makes his achievement more remarkable, not less.It's impossible not to think of his success without thinking about the difficult rookie blues and tough love from the team in 2025, when it felt like there was a real risk the Antonelli experiment was going to teeter off the cliff around the summer. Was it too much, too young, too soon?Those questions were swiftly put to bed this year as Antonelli took five consecutive wins on his way to sheer domination, including that unforgettable comeback drive from 19th at home in Monza. Read Also: F1's youngest world champions Antonelli's coronation in Mexico, in a car that is no longer dominant, was befitting the occasion. As virtually all of his top team rivals got their elbows out, Antonelli drove a mature and low-key race - the only bit of excitement coming when he made a lunge on Charles Leclerc to grab third after the red flag. That move ensured he would celebrate his maiden title on Mexico's famous podium fronting an electric Foro Sol stadium.On a weekend Mercedes didn't have the upper hand, it was a worthy way to write a fresh chapter of F1 history."On the last lap, I just backed off because I just couldn't see the track. I was getting emotional," Antonelli described his tearful title clincher. "I said, 'I'm just going to back off because otherwise I crash here.'"Kimi Antonelli shares an embrace with Toto WolffKimi Antonelli shares an embrace with Toto WolffWinner: MercedesAntonelli's victory is, of course, not his alone, but that of an army of engineers, mechanics and other staffers across Brackley, Brixworth and F1 paddocks around the world. Cogs in a machine that sputtered during the ground-effect era, but struck back as F1 switched to all-new chassis and power unit regulations for 2026.Special mention should go to former Mercedes talent scout Gwen Lagrue and to Toto Wolff. Lagrue spotted Antonelli in karting and brought him into the Mercedes young driver program at the age of 12, while Wolff put his money where his mouth is by promoting Antonelli as an 18-year-old to replace Lewis Hamilton. Father Marco also played an instrumental role every step of the way until today.There were bumps, bruises, broken carbon fibre parts and plenty of teenage tears along the way. But the Bologna native's remarkable transformation this year showed it was all worth it.Loser: FerrariFerrari has "big problems". Don't take our word for it, as those are the words of Lewis Hamilton. The British driver was seething when team-mate Charles Leclerc passing him off the track was only met with a very soft five-second penalty, which was easily offset by running in clear air.Having finally clinched his first Ferrari pole and his first pole in F1 since 2023, Hamilton looked good value for the grand prix win courtesy of how he was able to hound Max Verstappen over those closing laps, but unable to find a way past on the straight with Ferrari's relatively underpowered engine.It's not Ferrari's first driver flashpoint this year, with Hamilton wanting the Scuderia to back him sooner in what was an unlikely title challenge, and he and Leclerc having other incidents where it felt the pair raced each other harder than drivers from rival teams.Afterwards, Hamilton demanded "serious talks" and he is certain to get them. As Fred Vasseur said in his post-race media briefing: "Drivers have to show respect to the 2,000 people working for the team." Read Also: Lewis Hamilton demands “serious talks” at Ferrari after Charles Leclerc clash Lewis Hamilton is demanding serious talks at Ferrari after his latest flashpoint with Charles LeclercLewis Hamilton is demanding serious talks at Ferrari after his latest flashpoint with Charles LeclercWinner: Max VerstappenThere was something poetic about Antonelli - well on his way to become the best driver of his generation, sharing the podium with the best drivers of the previous two in Verstappen and Hamilton.While Hamilton will feel he should have won, this turned into a vintage Verstappen victory too, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat when his rivals did the opposite.When his car is where it needs to be, Verstappen is unstoppable. When it is not, as was the case in the Mexican capital, he's opportunistic. This time he picked off one half of the warring Ferrari duo at the start, and the other during the only green flag pitstop on lap 28 as Leclerc sat out his five-second hold.From the lead Verstappen soaked up all the pressure to swat away Hamilton's repeated advances, delivering a clinical performance to take his third win in four races.Antonelli's and Mercedes' gap was too big to overcome, but neutral and Dutch fans will be salivating over the prospect of a 2027 season from a blank slate. With four top teams all covered by three to four tenths as was the case in recent races.Loser: Valtteri Bottas, CadillacWhen team principal Marcin Budkowski came on board this summer, he was quick to spot some of the tradeoffs Cadillac has had to take to make it into the F1 grid in the first place, with a lack of reliability and parts consistency a major Achilles heel."There are also a number of shortcuts that have been taken, which is inevitable when you build a new team in such a time," he said in September. "It’s about working in some areas that need more attention. In the short term, obviously reliability. We’ve seen we’ve struggled with that in some areas, and just getting the operational excellence to the level it should be, which is not the level of a top team as of today."Mexico was the latest display of that, with both Sergio Perez and an off-the-pace Valtteri Bottas having to manage issues early on, and Bottas crashing out of the race with a front-left suspension collapse that sent him into the barriers at Turn 1. Bottas was lucky to escape with no injuries, but as Cadillac shifts focus on 2027 this is another wake-up call for F1's 11th team that things will have to be done to a higher standard.Bottas's seat may be under threat with Colton Herta waiting in the wings, and he did himself few favours with his recent performances. But right now Cadillac's problem isn't its drivers. Perhaps it owes the Finn a year in a car that is consistently driveable and functional. Read Also: Valtteri Bottas "pretty confident" of staying for F1 2027 amid Colton Herta rumours If this is it for Valtteri Bottas, then the Finn deserved better than a dysfunctional Cadillac debut carIf this is it for Valtteri Bottas, then the Finn deserved better than a dysfunctional Cadillac debut carLoser: HondaLittle more has to be said about Aston Martin and Honda, but it feels cruel and worrisome that the year started with a car that couldn't produce more than a handful of consecutive laps in Australia and 17 races later we're back to the same place.While power unit performance was never going to improve overnight, one could reasonably expect Honda to make bigger strides on the reliability front, because this is no way to go racing."I'm doing my best, you know," a disconsolate Fernando Alonso said after parking his Aston Martin within six laps with what was described as "abnormal pressure levels in the PU systems". His team-mate Lance Stroll followed suit a minute later."Every lap I do, every morning I wake up, every preparation I do, the food I take in, everything is focused on performing at my best behind the wheel, but I'm not able to accumulate enough laps." Read Also: F1 Mexico GP: Kimi Antonelli clinches world title as Max Verstappen holds off Lewis Hamilton for victory Emotional Kimi Antonelli left "speechless" by maiden F1 world title in Mexico Lewis Hamilton demands “serious talks” at Ferrari after Charles Leclerc clash To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.