Max Verstappen led the Mexico City Grand Prix with the race entering its final laps on Sunday, holding a lead of roughly 1.2 seconds over Lewis Hamilton, according to live coverage from Motorsport.com France. Kimi Antonelli ran third, a further 1.3 seconds back, on an evening that outlets including Eurosport framed around a possible title coronation for the Italian.
The race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, the twentieth round of the 2026 season, ran from 29 October to 1 November. Motorsport.com France's live text, translated automatically from another edition of the site, described a tense closing phase in which the leading trio circulated within a few seconds of one another.
Why it matters
The result at the front could shape the championship picture. Eurosport billed the race as a potential night of celebration for Antonelli, who started the weekend with a chance to seal the title. His third place, close enough to keep the leaders in view, kept that possibility alive to the end.
Behind them, the race carried weight for several other drivers. A collision eliminated Lindblad from seventh place, costing Racing Bulls a substantial haul of points. Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, managed a damaged tyre while defending against Lando Norris, and Pierre Gasly was forced to hand back positions after running off track.
Verstappen manages the gap at the front
According to Motorsport.com France, Verstappen's approach in the closing laps was to hold the gap at about 1.2 seconds rather than push for a bigger margin, keeping Hamilton in turbulent air and unable to build a run. The Dutchman reported over the radio that engine braking had "changed completely," but the gap stayed steady.
Hamilton stayed within striking distance. Motorsport.com France reported that he appeared very close to Verstappen at the entry to Turn 1 on one lap but lacked the final tenths needed to attempt a move, and that he later dropped out of the slipstream briefly to get clean air into the car. He was told he had no damage and could keep attacking.
Antonelli, running third, stayed with the leading pair rather than settling for a defensive drive. Motorsport.com France suggested the Italian may sense that a win was within reach.
Leclerc's damaged tyre and Norris's pursuit
The most closely watched battle sat just behind the podium places. Leclerc held fourth with a significant flat spot on one tyre, a problem Norris's engineer described over the radio as worn through to the canvas. Norris replied that he could see it for himself. Leclerc reported that he thought he could see the tyre's cord, and at one point ran wide at Turn 4 and rejoined slowly, bringing Norris right onto his gearbox.
Norris tried repeatedly to find a way past, including around the outside of Turn 1 and by pressuring the Ferrari at Turn 4, but could not get close enough at the end of the two main straights. George Russell sat behind them, waiting for either to make a mistake.
Safety car and midfield chaos
The race was shaken up when Lindblad, running seventh, hit the wall after contact with Oscar Piastri. According to Motorsport.com France, Piastri attempted a move around the outside of Turn 1, which became the inside line for Turn 2, and Lindblad's rear tyre caught Piastri's front, sending the Racing Bulls car into the barrier. Piastri was told he had sustained considerable damage and had lost a bargeboard. The incident brought out the safety car.
At the restart, Hamilton was described by RMC Sport as being on fire, though Motorsport.com France reported that he could not get close enough to Verstappen at the end of the main straight. Gasly went into the grass and gave back places gained illegally, allowing Lawson to take ninth. Hulkenberg was penalised for sending Bearman off track at Turn 4 during the restart, and stewards also looked at a possible false start by Sainz, though no further investigation followed.
Further back, Perez fought past Hadjar for 14th place, with Hulkenberg then taking a position on Perez. Piastri held seventh ahead of Colapinto, with Lawson and Gasly completing the top ten.
The race was still running as of the latest updates. What to watch: whether Antonelli's third place is enough to secure the championship, and whether Norris can finally find a way past Leclerc's ailing Ferrari before the flag.
