Two F1 Drivers Confirmed Sick Ahead of Title-Decider Mexico GP
· Yahoo Sports
F1 title contender Andrea Kimi Antonelli, together with Valtteri Bottas, will not be present for Thursday sessions at the Mexico City Grand Prix.
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Starting their fifth F1 weekend in six weeks, two drivers have taken ill and are excused by the FIA for skipping the Thursday media session. Mercedes’ Antonelli is one of them, who is all set to secure the 2026 drivers’ championship this weekend.
It can only be a miracle for either George Russell or Lewis Hamilton to stop him from claiming the title in Mexico. There is a chance, but it will be a task for either of them to do it. Antonelli, meanwhile, will rest up on Thursday ahead of the biggest weekend of his F1 career.
Mercedes said a viral illness had hit Antonelli between the races in Austin and Mexico and that the FIA had permitted him to skip the Thursday media session. The Italian should be back to take part in the Friday session.
Antonelli Should Be Fine to Drive on Friday
“Kimi is feeling under the weather today as he recovers from a viral illness,” said a note from Mercedes. “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.”
Antonelli will have Frederik Vesti in the FP1 session, with George Russell giving up his car for the mandated FIA rookie session. The Dane is one of the 10 drivers taking part, which include Colton Herta for Valtteri Bottas at Cadillac.
It will give Bottas a chance to rest up more after the Finn, too, is skipping the Thursday media session due to illness. Cadillac states it is just a precautionary measure, and he should be ready to take part in the Friday session.
(Photo by Alex Slitz/LAT Images)Bottas is Under the Weather Too
“Valtteri Bottas will unfortunately be unable to attend today’s media day in Mexico City as he is unwell,” stated Cadillac. “The team has taken the decision to allow him a day of rest to support his recovery. This is a precautionary measure and does not currently affect his participation in the remainder of the race weekend.
“We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates if necessary.” Bottas is fighting for his F1 career amid rumors about Cadillac wanting to change. They extended Sergio Perez’s contract ahead of the Mexico City GP, but made no mention of the Finn.
Herta is getting an FP1 chance in Mexico, which should fulfill the F1 superlicense requirement. Apart from the American, reports say Esteban Ocon is doing the rounds along with Liam Lawson, even though the latter seems in a good spot. The Kiwi, too, is giving up his Racing Bulls seat to Nikola Tsolov for the FP1 session.
Valtteri Bottas (FIN) Cadillac Formula 1 Team.