Antonelli Becomes F1's Youngest Champion as Ferrari's Rivalry Boils Over
Kimi Antonelli is the youngest Formula 1 drivers' champion in the sport's history. He clinched the 2026 title in Mexico City, where Max Verstappen won the Mexican Grand Prix on Sunday 1 November. It is Antonelli's first world championship.
The race was decided in the opening corners and in the battle between Ferrari's two drivers. Lewis Hamilton started from pole position, the front spot on the grid. Hamilton and Charles Leclerc both ran wide at Turn 4 early on. Ferrari's own race report says Leclerc locked his front wheels at Turn 1 and flat-spotted a tyre, a worn flat patch that caused severe vibration. Hamilton got ahead of his team-mate, but Verstappen later passed Hamilton and went on to win.
Leclerc received a penalty for the incident. Hamilton said Ferrari had missed a one-two finish because of the clash, and he has not backed down since. Reuters reported that Hamilton criticised Leclerc publicly and refused to step back ahead of the Brazilian race.
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur condemned the incident, saying it showed a lack of respect for the team. Vasseur was expected to meet Hamilton and Leclerc at Interlagos on Friday, ahead of the São Paulo Grand Prix. As of 5 November, the three had not yet sat down to discuss the Mexico battle.
This is not the first flashpoint. At the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, Leclerc did not pit when first told to, which would have let Hamilton past on a different tyre strategy. Hamilton said afterwards that he wanted talks with Ferrari about why the team had delayed bringing Leclerc in. At Monza, Hamilton went down the inside of Leclerc into the first chicane, a tight bend, and was squeezed wide onto the gravel.
The root of the problem is structural. Ferrari have no formal rules of engagement, the agreed ground rules that set out how team-mates may race each other. Neither Hamilton nor Leclerc has been named the team's number one driver. Earlier this season, Hamilton said Ferrari "needs to probably change" that stance.
The stakes are high for a team that has not won a drivers' championship since 2007. Leclerc joined Ferrari in 2019, and the pair have now been fighting for position inside one garage for the better part of a season. Hamilton will make his 400th Formula One start at the São Paulo Grand Prix, a race where the Ferrari talks will be watched closely.
For fans, the lesson of Mexico is simple. A team with two strong drivers can lose more than a race when they collide, and the paddock is now waiting to see whether Ferrari's meeting at Interlagos produces a plan or just more noise.
