Kimi Antonelli could barely see through tears on final lap in Mexico

Kimi Antonelli has revealed that he was close to losing control of his Mercedes during the final lap of the Mexico City Grand Prix after becoming overwhelmed by emotion as he approached the finish line and his maiden Formula 1 world title.

The 20-year-old admitted that he was crying so much that he could barely see the track ahead. He even had to ease off the accelerator to avoid making a mistake. Antonelli estimated that he lost around two seconds because of the tears, but managed to bring the car home and secure the championship.

"On the last lap I just backed off because I couldn't see the track. I was getting emotional, and I said, 'I'm just going to back off because otherwise I crash here'," the Mercedes driver explained.

Antonelli finished third in Mexico behind Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, becoming the youngest Formula 1 world champion in history at 20 years and 68 days old. He said memories of his journey from karting to the top of motorsport went through his mind as he crossed the finish line.