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Title Leader Antonelli Misses Mexico City Media Day With a Viral Illness

Mercedes excused the 20-year-old from his Thursday duties so he can rest before a weekend where a top-nine finish makes him Formula 1's youngest champion. Cadillac's Valtteri Bottas was also unwell.

By Orbit Post2 min read
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Title Leader Antonelli Misses Mexico City Media Day With a Viral Illness

Key points

  • Kimi Antonelli, the Mercedes driver who can become Formula 1's youngest world champion on Sunday, missed media day at the Mexico City Grand Prix on Thursday after coming down with a viral illness.
  • "Kimi is feeling under the weather today as he recovers from a viral illness," a Mercedes spokesperson said.
  • Antonelli arrives at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez with a 123-point lead, five races left in the season and a maximum of 125 points still available, Reuters reported.

Kimi Antonelli, the Mercedes driver who can become Formula 1's youngest world champion on Sunday, missed media day at the Mexico City Grand Prix on Thursday after coming down with a viral illness. Mercedes said the 20-year-old Italian was feeling under the weather as he recovers, and that the FIA had excused him from his mandatory media duties as a precaution.

"Kimi is feeling under the weather today as he recovers from a viral illness," a Mercedes spokesperson said. "As a precaution, the FIA have excused him from his mandatory media duties to give him the chance to rest ahead of the weekend. We expect him to be back tomorrow."

A title within reach on Sunday

Antonelli arrives at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez with a 123-point lead, five races left in the season and a maximum of 125 points still available, Reuters reported. He will be champion on Sunday if he finishes in the top nine, even if his teammate George Russell wins the race. He also takes the title without scoring a point if neither Russell nor Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton wins. At 20, Antonelli would break Sebastian Vettel's record and become the youngest champion in the sport's history, beating the mark Vettel set in 2010 by more than three years. Antonelli won in Texas last weekend, at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, and then travelled to Mexico for the middle race of a run of three race weekends in a row.

Bottas also absent on Thursday

Antonelli was not the only driver missing on Thursday. Cadillac said its driver Valtteri Bottas was unwell and would take a day of rest. "This is a precautionary measure and does not currently affect his participation in the remainder of the race weekend," the team said. Bottas was due to sit out the first practice session in any case, with Colton Herta driving his car, Racer reported. At Mercedes, Frederik Vesti is scheduled to drive Russell's car in the opening practice session, while Antonelli is scheduled to drive his own car when practice starts on Friday. Mercedes expects him back in the paddock on Friday, and the race runs on Sunday at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

Timeline

  1. Oct 29, 2026Antonelli misses Mexico City Grand Prix media day with a viral illness, and Cadillac's Valtteri Bottas is also absent unwell.
  2. Oct 30, 2026Mercedes expects Antonelli back as practice begins at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
  3. Nov 1, 2026Race day in Mexico City. A top-nine finish makes Antonelli Formula 1's youngest world champion.

Sources