He only needed to finish ninth to get over the line but the Italian vowed to finish the job in style.
asserted
Italian → need → style
He had to settled for a podium, as he became the first Italian champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953.
asserted
he → have → 1953
Max Verstappen claimed a sixth win in Mexico, as he fought off Hamilton at a second race start to clinch a third victory in four races and jump to second in the standings – 119 behind Antonelli.
asserted
he → claim → Antonelli
Antonelli passed Leclerc to finish on the podium, with Lando Norris fifth ahead of Russell.
asserted
Norris → pass → Russell
After a debut season where Antonelli struggled, even raising doubts as to whether he would complete it, few would have backed him to storm to the championship in the manner he has – with four rounds remaining.
asserted
rounds → struggle → manner
Antonelli responded to Russell’s opening win in Melbourne, with his maiden F1 success in China kickstarting a winning run of five races that gave him a title lead he has never looked like relinquishing.
asserted
he → respond → lead
As the Day of the Dead celebrations raged across town, F1 gave birth to its latest champion – the curly-haired kid from Bologna etching his name alongside the sport’s immortals.
asserted
F1 → rag → immortals
He has surpassed the mark of youngest champion by a staggering three years and 65 days ahead of previous record-holder Sebastian Vettel.
asserted
He → surpass → Vettel
Hamilton, who Antonelli was chosen to replace at Mercedes, was three years and 39 days older than the Italian when he won the first of his seven crowns.
asserted
he → choose → crowns
Antonelli’s thumping win in Austin last weekend – a sizzling demonstration of his champion credentials – made Sunday’s blast around the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez far more routine.
asserted
blast → make → Rodriguez
The 20-year-old arrived on Sunday hand in hand with younger sister Maggie and, with mum Veronica and dad Marco here, the Antonellis were ready to celebrate.
asserted
Antonellis → arrive → Veronica
He jumped into his car, after a hug from engineer Pete ‘Bono’ Bonnington and a kiss from mum, and set off from fourth on the grid to drive into the history books.
asserted
He → jump → books
Hamilton started well to fend off Russell but Leclerc, from third, elbowed his way into the lead around the outside at turn four.
asserted
Leclerc → start → turn
He had to run over the grass to do so and Hamilton was sent wobbling, allowing Verstappen to move through.
asserted
Verstappen → have → grass
“Pushed out by my own team-mate,” Hamilton fumed.
asserted
Hamilton → push → mate
Russell plummeted to sixth and banged into Isack Hadjar but, while the carnage raged around him, Antonelli kept his nose clean to remain fourth.
asserted
Antonelli → plummet → nose
Leclerc was hit with a five-second penalty.
asserted
Leclerc → hit → penalty
Hamilton grumbled: “He should just give the positions back.”
asserted
He → grumble → positions
There was worse news for Russell, now running fifth, who was slapped with a 10-second penalty for his bash into Hadjar.
asserted
who → be → Hadjar
Hamilton’s anger continued, saying: “The stewards are basically handing Charles this win.”
asserted
stewards → continue → win
Leclerc had almost a five-second lead on Verstappen when the pair pitted after 27 laps, the Dutchman emerging ahead once the penalty was served.
asserted
penalty → have → laps
Hamilton stopped the next lap, rejoining 3.3 seconds behind Leclerc.
asserted
Hamilton → stop → Leclerc
Antonelli now led and extended his first stint until lap 44.
asserted
Antonelli → lead → lap
He rejoined fourth.
asserted
He → rejoin → ?
The following lap, Valtteri Bottas thumped into the barriers, triggering a safety car.
asserted
Bottas → follow → car
Replays showed his front-left suspension failed down the straight.
asserted
suspension → show → straight
Unlucky timing for Antonelli. “Ah f***, man,” he moaned.
asserted
he → moan → Antonelli
Hamilton pitted but the race was then red-flagged as the barriers needed repair.
asserted
barriers → pit → repair
“We’ve got big problems, man,” Hamilton, who was promoted ahead of Antonelli again, said before storming into the Ferrari garage.
asserted
who → get → garage
If Antonelli was feeling any nerves, a 33-minute halt and a second race start with 25 laps to go was enough to put them to the test – while the warring Ferraris were abreast again.
asserted
Ferraris → feel → test
A fired-up Hamilton blasted past Leclerc off the line before banging wheels with Verstappen, the Dutchman staying ahead.
asserted
Dutchman → fire → Verstappen
Leclerc locked up and was under-fire from Antonelli as the Italian pulled off a daring move to charge through.
asserted
Italian → lock → move
There was still time for more anxiety, Arvid Lindblad and Oscar Piastri crashing to trigger a safety-car restart, which Antonelli navigated.
asserted
Antonelli → be → which
The Foro Sol stadium erupted as Antonelli drove through on the final lap, triggering a fiesta to welcome in the history-making champion.
asserted
Antonelli → erupt → champion
The Aporia
