Kimi Antonelli was 'right on the edge' of retiring from Mexico GP as serious post-race issue found by Mercedes
Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Antonelli provided one of the most iconic photos in Formula 1 history on the Mexico City Grand Prix podium - but it almost didn't happen.
Antonelli finished in third place behind Hamilton and race-winner Verstappen to become the youngest-ever Drivers' Champion at the age of just 19.
Verstappen and Hamilton represent the last two dominant eras of Formula 1, and there was something symbolic about the two drivers being able to 'usher in' Antonelli as the new champion - at least for a season, by the end of which they both will hope to have claimed the title back.
Antonelli struggled to speak over team radio after he crossed the finish line, such were his emotions - but he was not far away from retiring from the race and having to wait until Brazil for his crowning moment.
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Kimi Antonelli almost retired from Mexico GP
The closing laps of the Grand Prix saw Hamilton battling Verstappen for the race win, with Antonelli a comfortable distance behind in third.
While those watching the race from home would have assumed that the Italian was simply holding back to not take any risks - with the knowledge that an overtaking move would have been exceptionally difficult in any case - there was some cause for alarm on the Mercedes pit wall.
Speaking on the 'High Performance Racing Podcast', Mercedes deputy team principal Bradley Lord has revealed that Antonelli was suffering from an oil leak - the severity of which only emerged after they removed the floor from his car at the end of the Grand Prix.
"Talking about a jinx moment that didn't happen," Lord said. "If you want a sign of the fact that this is Kimi's year, and things are rolling with him as well. We got the car back after the race, took the floor off the bottom, and it was covered in oil.
"Something had cracked, and Kimi thinks that about four laps from the end, his engine started to struggle. So, right on the edge of retirement on that race, and yet it held together.
"And then he ends up with the perfect podium, sharing it with Lewis Hamilton, sharing it with Max Verstappen."
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Kimi Antonelli has made first decision after winning Drivers' Championship
One of the first items on the agenda for Antonelli, as the new world champion, was to decide which driver number he will use for the 2027 season.
Drivers can opt to use the number 1 as the reigning world champion, but not everyone has chosen to since Formula 1 introduced the change in 2014. Lewis Hamilton chose to stick with his usual number 44, but Max Verstappen and Lando Norris both opted to use number 1 when they had the opportunity. Nico Rosberg would have had the option to switch from number 6 but retired before he could defend his title in 2017.
Antonelli has chosen to follow in Hamilton's footsteps and will keep his number 12 for 2027.
"I'll stay with number 12 because, obviously, it's a very special number for me," said Antonelli, whose idol Ayrton Senna used 12 while at Lotus and in his first championship-winning season at McLaren.
"But it's also a way for me to stay grounded, stay humble, and I feel like by keeping number 12 it allows me to have a new point where to start and build on everything again and try to improve.
"And also, to be honest, I'm very superstitious. And number one has never been a good number for me. Whenever I put it, it went extremely badly. So one more reason to stay with number 12!"
Topics: Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Formula 1
Ryan Smart
