Ill Antonelli skips Mexico GP media day with F1 title one race away

Kimi Antonelli will miss Thursday’s media day at the Mexico City Grand Prix after Mercedes confirmed the championship leader is recovering from a viral illness, with the FIA excusing him from his scheduled press obligations. The team expects the 20-year-old Italian to return to full duties on Friday.

The timing is significant. Antonelli stands on the verge of his maiden Formula 1 world title and, should he claim it on Sunday, would become the sport’s youngest-ever champion — surpassing Sebastian Vettel’s record set in 2010 by more than three years. His path to the title is straightforward: a ninth-place finish is enough, or he can wait for neither George Russell nor Lewis Hamilton to win the race.

Antonelli is not the only driver to call in sick ahead of the weekend. Cadillac confirmed that Valtteri Bottas is also unwell and has been given a rest day as a precautionary measure. The team stated that his participation in the remainder of the race weekend is not currently affected, though the situation will be monitored.

Should either driver be unable to take part, reserve options are available. At Mercedes, 2023 Formula 2 runner-up Frederik Vesti would be on standby; the Dane has never started a grand prix but is already set to drive George Russell’s car in Friday’s opening practice session, marking his seventh career FP1 appearance. Cadillac’s reserve is Zhou Guanyu, who ended a three-year spell with Alfa Romeo/Sauber at the close of the 2024 season and would return to the grid if called upon.