McLaren
Lando Norris, 5th
"The race pace today was exceptionally strong and capable of at least fighting for a podium, if not for the win, which is a huge positive for the entire team. However, our Sunday was compromised by our Qualifying position and the straight-line speed limiter, which made overtaking virtually impossible regardless of how closely we followed. We know the areas we must address, and we’re looking forward to introducing upgrades in Brazil as we continue our fight for third in the Constructors' Championship.
"I also want to extend my congratulations to Kimi on securing the Drivers’ World Championship. To achieve what he has done at just 20 years old and in only his second season in Formula 1 is outstanding. He thoroughly deserves every bit of this success, and while I look forward to putting up a much stronger fight to reclaim the title next season, I hope he takes the time to celebrate a truly historic achievement."
Oscar Piastri, 13th
“Congratulations to Kimi on his Championship win; he has driven a solid season from the start, and to achieve what he has at such a young age is remarkable. Looking at our performance today, it was a tough and tricky afternoon in Mexico City. We showed promising pace to climb positions throughout the race following a disappointing Qualifying session yesterday, which had put us on the back foot.
“Despite the damage picked up towards the end, we carried on through the final laps and still had enough pace to hang on, even if the last stint wasn’t easy. It’s disappointing not to come away with the points for P7 following the racing incident ruling against us, but we’ll use that as motivation to fight at the front in Brazil next week. We’ll review the whole weekend as a team and focus on looking to finish this triple-header with a strong result."
Andrea Stella, Team Principal
"First of all, on behalf of the whole team, I would like to congratulate Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Mercedes on a truly historic achievement. Becoming the youngest World Champion in the history of Formula 1 in just his second season is something extraordinary. For Italian motor racing, Kimi now joins an exclusive group alongside legendary names such as Alberto Ascari and Giuseppe Farina, who have inspired entire generations of Italian fans. His incredible consistency, his reliability and the remarkable progress he has made over the past year have made this triumph truly exceptional.
“As for our performance today, the race confirmed that we had the potential to finish on the podium. Unfortunately, we paid the price for both our drivers’ starting grid positions and the limitations imposed by the technical regulations, which make overtaking practically impossible on a track like this: with all the time Lando spent in the slipstream – first behind Russell and then behind Leclerc – I think he could now draw the rear of their cars with his eyes closed! Furthermore, the harsh penalty Oscar received for the contact with Lindblad cost us further valuable points: a real shame because Oscar had staged a good comeback.
“In our battle with Red Bull for third place today, we could only limit the damage after a Qualifying session that had put us in a difficult position. We have 16 points to make up, but I believe that with the pace we showed today and the upgrades coming to Brazil next week, we have every chance of achieving at least that target. To do so, however, we’ll have to be perfect as a team, in every respect.”
