Formula 1 championship leader Kimi Antonelli has been forced to miss Thursday’s media activities at the Mexican Grand Prix due to illness, with Mercedes expecting him to return on Friday. Cadillac driver Valtteri Bottas has also been ruled out of his media commitments.
Kimi Antonelli’s preparations for a potentially decisive Mexican Grand Prix have suffered an unexpected setback after Mercedes confirmed that the Italian driver is recovering from a viral infection.
The championship leader was absent from Thursday’s scheduled media activities at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, having been granted permission by the FIA to prioritise his recovery ahead of the race weekend.
Mercedes confirmed that the decision was precautionary and that the team expects Antonelli to return to the circuit on Friday.
“Kimi is feeling unwell today as he recovers from a viral infection,” Mercedes said in a statement.
“As a precaution, the FIA has excused him from his media duties to give him the opportunity to rest ahead of the weekend. We expect him to be back tomorrow.”
The illness comes at a significant moment in Antonelli’s season, with the Mercedes driver arriving in Mexico in a position to secure his maiden Formula 1 world championship.
Following his victory at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Antonelli holds a commanding advantage over his remaining title rivals, leaving him on the brink of becoming world champion.
Mercedes will hope that Thursday’s rest allows the Italian to recover sufficiently before Friday’s opening practice session.
Bottas Also Ruled Out of Thursday’s Media Activities
Antonelli is not the only driver to have withdrawn from the Mexican Grand Prix’s pre-event media schedule.
Cadillac confirmed shortly after Mercedes’ announcement that Valtteri Bottas would also miss Thursday’s activities due to illness.
“The Cadillac Formula 1 Team confirms that Valtteri Bottas will unfortunately be unable to participate in today’s media day in Mexico City due to illness,” the team announced.
“The team has taken the decision to give him a day of rest to aid his recovery.”
Cadillac stressed that the absence was precautionary and that there was currently no indication Bottas would be unable to participate in the remainder of the weekend.
“This is a precautionary measure which, at present, has no impact on his participation in the rest of the race weekend. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates if necessary.”
Bottas’ absence also comes amid renewed interest in Cadillac’s future driver plans.
Team CEO Dan Towriss has not ruled out the possibility of Colton Herta securing a race seat in 2027, with the American expected to obtain the final point required for his Formula 1 Super Licence on Friday.
The development had been expected to feature among the questions put to Bottas during Thursday’s media sessions.
How Antonelli Can Secure the World Championship in Mexico
Despite the disruption to his preparations, Antonelli remains firmly in control of the championship battle.
His Austin victory extended his advantage to 123 points over Mercedes team-mate George Russell and 124 points over Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton.
With only 125 points still available across the remaining races, both British drivers retain a mathematical chance of winning the championship, although their opportunities are now extremely limited.
Antonelli can secure the title in Mexico even without scoring a point, provided neither Russell nor Hamilton wins Sunday’s Grand Prix.
Victory for any other driver would therefore be enough to confirm the Italian as the 2026 Formula 1 world champion, regardless of his own finishing position.
Even if one of his two remaining challengers wins, Antonelli could still settle the championship this weekend.
If Russell takes victory, Antonelli would need only to finish ninth to secure the title. Should Hamilton win instead, a tenth-place finish would be sufficient.
Those scenarios leave Antonelli with several routes to the championship as he approaches what could become the defining weekend of his Formula 1 career.
For now, however, Mercedes’ immediate concern is ensuring its driver recovers from his illness in time for Friday’s running.
The team remains confident that Antonelli’s absence will be limited to Thursday’s media activities, although his condition will become clearer when the cars return to the circuit for free practice.
