Kimi Antonelli has stated he was struggling to see the track in the final laps of the Mexico City Grand Prix as he got closer to clinching the F1 title.
Antonelli entered the race needing only ninth on the road to become the youngest champion in the sport's history.
After staying out of trouble on the opening lap, Antonelli stayed in contention for a top-three finish and consolidated third after making a late-race overtake on Charles Leclerc.
As he closed out the race, Antonelli revealed that he was losing considerable time as he could no longer keep his emotions under control.
"Already the lap before, I lost probably two seconds because I was already crying, basically," Antonelli told media including RacingNews365.
"I couldn't see clearly ahead. I could see two Ferraris somehow with the tears.
"It was very special. A lot of memories went through my mind in that moment, all the memories since karting all the way to here.
"It was a very special final lap, and definitely, then when I crossed the line, I let it all out because it was just achieving one of my biggest dreams. It was very special."
Antonelli highlights 'critical' Leclerc overtake
Antonelli was gunning for an even higher result than third after making his pit stop as he extended his opening stint, before a red flag neutralised the race.
As he chased the podium finish, Antonelli described his overtake on Leclerc as "critical" as he dealt with his systems overheating.
"We had a strong pace, especially in that first stint, when we went for 40-plus laps on the soft, and we were still very quick," he said.
"We were able to create a big offset on tyres, and when I came out of the pit, I was like, 'We have a good chance to fight and to catch the leaders back.'
"But then, of course, with the red flag, everything went back to zero, and everyone then put fresh tyres on, and we were back to base. But then it was good.
"The move on Charles was critical into Turn 1. We were all pushing, the three of us. It was a very high pace, but it was a bit hard to follow, mainly for temperatures.
"We had to manage brake temperatures a lot during the race, so couldn't push as much. But it was still very fun."
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