Mexico GP: Antonelli on the Brink of a Record, Mercedes Chasing the Constructors' Title
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- Kimi Antonelli hanya butuh finis di posisi sembilan atau lebih baik untuk mengunci titel juara dunia F1 2026 di Meksiko, dengan keunggulan 123 poin atas Russell dan 124 poin atas Hamilton.
- Mercedes berpeluang besar merebut gelar konstruktor di Meksiko jika mampu mengungguli Ferrari dengan selisih 39 poin, meski skenario realistis adalah juara di Interlagos pekan berikutnya.
- Sergio Perez mencatat 300 balapan F1 di kandang sendiri, menjadi momentum membungkam stigma 'pay driver' dan mengukuhkan warisan bagi pembalap Amerika Latin.
Kimi Antonelli heads into the Mexico Grand Prix this weekend with a golden chance to seal the 2026 Formula 1 world championship at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, just a week after a dominant victory in Austin. The 20-year-old Mercedes driver now holds a 123-point lead over George Russell and 124 points over Lewis Hamilton, with only 125 points remaining across the final five rounds.
Antonelli does not need to win the race to claim his first crown. A ninth-place finish or better is enough to secure the title. Even if he fails to score points, his chances remain wide open as long as Russell or Hamilton does not win the race—something that, given recent form, is considered unlikely. The Austin win was Antonelli's ninth of the season, underlining his dominance with a total of 15 podiums and seven pole positions.
If it happens, Antonelli will become the youngest world champion in F1 history, breaking Sebastian Vettel's 2010 record by three years. The achievement would also end Mercedes' wait for a first drivers' title since Hamilton claimed his seventh in 2020. Mercedes' dominance in the 2026 regulation era—thanks to a highly efficient power unit—has been evident since the start of the season with victories in the first six races from pole position.
On the other side, Mercedes also has a strong chance of taking its ninth constructors' title in Mexico. With a 133-point lead over Ferrari and 215 points remaining, Mercedes needs to outscore Ferrari by 39 points—a scenario that requires a one-two finish or at least a one-three. However, realistic calculations suggest the constructors' title is more likely to be clinched at the next round in Interlagos, Brazil, next week.
Ferrari itself is on a positive trend with three consecutive podiums and has been the highest-scoring team over the last two races. Yet the Maranello-based team has not won in nine races. Principal Fred Vasseur believes that in Austin, Ferrari did everything right except in the Q3 qualifying session. The Saturday limitation forced Charles Leclerc and Hamilton to attack from further back, and Leclerc had to settle for second. Vasseur is confident the SF-26 package is now competitive across various circuit characteristics, and a win in Mexico is not out of the question, though the challenge of 2,200 meters above sea level will test the operational limits of the tires and car setup.
"We did everything right except the Q3 lap. That cost us starting positions and forced us to attack in the race," Vasseur said, as quoted by Motorsport.com.
For Red Bull Racing, the Mexico Grand Prix is a chance to prove itself after climbing to third in the constructors' standings, displacing McLaren. Max Verstappen is in strong form with six consecutive podiums, including two wins. However, two problems still loom: poor starts and radio technical glitches. Isack Hadjar complained about the need for a clutch redesign after losing two positions at the start in Austin, while Verstappen also lost one position. The radio issue has appeared since Singapore and recurred in Austin. Principal Laurent Mekies expects the complicated start problem to continue into 2027.
Amid the title fight, the Mexico Grand Prix is also a special stage for Sergio Perez. The Guadalajara-born driver will record his 300th race, joining a list of legends such as Fernando Alonso, Rubens Barrichello, Jenson Button, and Michael Schumacher. The milestone is more than just a number: Perez has silenced the "pay driver" stigma long attached to him. As the runner-up in the drivers' standings, he is the most successful Mexican driver in F1 history, and his return with the Cadillac team has forced critics to acknowledge his quality after his bitter departure from Red Bull at the end of 2024.
Even so, the backdrop to this celebration is not ideal. Perez is no longer fighting for podiums on home soil; with Cadillac, simply finishing is a big win. Yet his legacy endures—as the main driving force behind F1's return to Mexico and an inspiration to younger generations, in line with the motto engraved on his helmet: "Never give up."
With the drivers' title almost certainly going to Antonelli, F1's attention now shifts to the constructors' duel and Ferrari's bid to end its win drought. Will Mexico witness Antonelli's crown and the first step of a new Mercedes dominance? The answer will unfold over 71 laps at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez this weekend.
