Max Verstappen expresses heartfelt sentiments following Kimi Antonelli's groundbreaking F1 championship victory.

Antonelli secured third place behind Verstappen and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, earning his first championship at the age of 20 years and 68 days, surpassing Sebastian Vettel’s record by over three years.

During his post-race interview with 2016 champion Nico Rosberg, Verstappen shared his admiration for Antonelli's accomplishments at such a youthful age.

"It’s remarkable what a season he had. And achieving that at such a young age is really, really impressive," the Dutch driver remarked.

"It’s fantastic to see the entire team celebrating with him. His family is also present. I’m sure this is a very emotional day for him, and I’m incredibly proud of him."

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

The four-time champion's race was determined early on due to a strong start and a five-second penalty for Charles Leclerc, which allowed him to take the lead.

"The initial start set the tone for my race. I had a very good first lap, let’s put it that way. After that, we followed a slightly different strategy," he commented.

"I believe we were a bit short on pace, but we stayed strong and made the right decisions at the right moments. And of course, Charles' penalty handed us the lead."

This victory also elevated Verstappen to second place in the drivers' standings with 261 points. Hamilton remains in third with 259 points, while Mercedes' George Russell, who was second before the Mexican Grand Prix, now occupies fourth with 250 points. Ferrari's Leclerc completes the top five with 245 points.