The podium of the Formula 1 Mexican Grand Prix at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez has secured a place in the sport's history. Beyond the iconic image of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen lifting Kimi Antonelli, the youngest champion in F1 history, the stage is notable for the sheer number of world titles held by the top three finishers: 12.
This record-breaking combination consists of Hamilton's seven titles, Verstappen's four, and Antonelli's first championship. This total represents the highest sum of trophies on a single podium in Formula 1 history, calculated based on the titles each driver possessed at the moment of the race rather than future achievements.
While this trio was the first to reach the mark of 12 combined titles, it is not the first time Hamilton, Verstappen, and Antonelli have finished in the top three positions. They also achieved this feat at the Canadian Grand Prix and the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia earlier this year. However, since Antonelli had not yet secured his championship during those events, the total number of titles on those podiums was 11, merely matching other historical combinations.
Previously, Hamilton, Verstappen, and Fernando Alonso shared a podium three times. Currently, these three drivers hold 13 world titles between them, as Alonso is a two-time champion. The last time this specific trio appeared together was in 2023 at the Australian and Canadian Grands Prix, before Verstappen became a three-time champion. At that time, the calculation included Hamilton's seven titles and Alonso's two, but only the two titles Verstappen held then, resulting in a sum of 11.
Aside from the instances this year and those in 2023, only one other trio has managed to combine 11 championships on a podium. This occurred at the 2020 Turkish Grand Prix when Hamilton secured his seventh title, sharing the stage with four-time champion Sebastian Vettel and Sergio Pérez, who is not a world champion.
Another notable mention is Michael Schumacher's final Formula 1 podium. In 2012, the seven-time champion finished third at the European Grand Prix, celebrating with 2007 champion Kimi Raikkonen and two-time champion Fernando Alonso, bringing their combined total to 10 world titles.
Sources: Globo Esporte.