After crossing the finish line of the Mexico City Grand Prix behind race winner Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, F1 history-maker Kimi Antonelli placed his hands on the steering wheel and his voice cracked as he said, “We did it, we did it.”
asserted
we → cross → it
Although the 20-year-old Mercedes driver finished third in the Mexican capital on Sunday, he became the youngest champion in the history of Formula 1.
asserted
he → finish → Formula
“I’m still trying to realize and understand what just happened, when you work so hard and then you finally achieve it is truly special,” said Antonelli, who was joined by his parents and younger sister.
asserted
who → try → parents
“All the emotions come, to be able to witness this moment with my family is a moment I will always remember.”
asserted
I → come → family
Antonelli, who secured the title with four races remaining, said the final lap was complicated by the excitement of what he had achieved — he began to savor it even before crossing the finish line.
asserted
he → secure → line
“I think I lost two seconds because I could not see ahead, I think I saw two Ferraris,” he said with a smile.
uncertain
he → think → smile
“It was very special, a lot of memories went through my mind at that moment, and I let it all out after achieving one of my biggest dreams.
asserted
I → go → dreams
Antonelli, the first Italian to win the title since Alberto Ascari in 1953, took an unassailable lead in the standings over teammate George Russell and Ferrari’s Hamilton.
asserted
Antonelli → win → Russell
Although the Italian driver knew, after winning the United States Grand Prix, that the title was firmly within his grasp, his first few days in Mexico were not easy; he fell ill, even though he claimed on Sunday to be in his best physical shape.
But the greatest challenge was the mental battle that came with having the achievement so close within reach.
“The weekend has not been easy; I kept hearing the same thing over and over again.
asserted
I → know → thing
It is not easy to hear congratulations on a win when the job is not yet done.
asserted
job → hear → win
But hearing it repeatedly made me realize that I could actually achieve it.”
uncertain
I → hear → it
Verstappen, meanwhile, claimed his sixth victory at the Mexico City Grand Prix, further cementing his affinity with the circuit.
asserted
Verstappen → claim → circuit
“The ‘Max-ico’ Grand Prix will be a great name to call it,” Verstappen said with a laugh.
asserted
Verstappen → call → laugh
“To be honest I love the city and the fans, but I have no idea why I have won it six years, it just happened.
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it → love → it
It always comes together for me here.”
asserted
It → come → me
A new Italian champion
“For 73 years, our country has waited for this moment, and today an entire nation will celebrate one of its own reaching the very pinnacle of our sport,” said Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali.
asserted
Domenicali → wait → sport
“Today, his name joins the legends of our sport.
asserted
name → join → sport
A new chapter in Formula 1 history has been written, and I firmly believe this is only the beginning of an extraordinary legacy.”
asserted
this → write → legacy
Race stopped
The race was stopped on lap 46 with a red flag after Valtteri Bottas crashed into the wall at the first corner, following issues with his right-side suspension.
asserted
Bottas → stop → suspension
Cadillac reported that the driver was given “further medical assessments as a precaution.”
asserted
driver → report → precaution
Bottas had got out of the car unaided and waved to the fans before leaving the track.
asserted
Bottas → get → track
At the restart, Verstappen was first — followed by Charles Leclerc, Hamilton, Antonelli, Lando Norris and Russell — and the Red Bull driver did not let the win slip away.
asserted
win → follow → Leclerc
After Mexico, F1 will head to Brazil and then to Las Vegas.
asserted
F1 → head → Vegas
It remains uncertain whether the final two scheduled Grands Prix — in Qatar and Abu Dhabi — will take place, given instability in the region.
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Prix → remain → region
Ferrari’s unhappy teammates
Hamilton, who had secured pole position on Saturday, lost it on the fourth lap while battling for the lead with Leclerc.
asserted
who → secure → Leclerc
Hamilton briefly went off track, dropping back to third place.
asserted
Hamilton → go → place
The maneuver between the two Ferrari drivers was investigated, resulting in a five-second penalty for Leclerc — a decision that left seven-time world champion Hamilton fuming.
asserted
that → investigate → Hamilton
“The stewards are basically handing Charles this win.
asserted
stewards → hand → win
We agreed in the drivers’ briefing,” Hamilton said.
asserted
Hamilton → agree → briefing
“The problem with a 5-second penalty is that he’s got clean air and doesn’t have to manage (the car) like the rest of us.
asserted
he → get → us
He should have just given the position back.”
asserted
He → give → position
Shortly before the red flag caused by Bottas’ crash, Hamilton radioed, “We’ve got problems … big, big problems.”
asserted
We → cause → problems
On pulling into the garage, he appeared visibly frustrated with his team.
asserted
he → pull → team
Leclerc said after the race that he wanted to give the position back to Hamilton, but Verstappen got between them.
asserted
Verstappen → say → them
“At that point it did not matter because Max passed us and the race was done,” Hamilton said.
asserted
Hamilton → matter → us
“I am happy, but we lost valuable points we could have easily been 1-2 today, but your teammate works against you, we just have to figure it out and something needs to change for sure.”
uncertain
something → lose → it
The Aporia
