Antonelli and Bottas miss Mexico City media day due to illness

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli will miss Thursday's media day ahead of the Mexico City Grand Prix due to a viral illness. The governing body FIA excused the Italian driver from his duties as a precaution to let him rest, and Mercedes expects him to return on Friday. Practice starts at 18:30 GMT. Antonelli stands on the brink of winning his first world title and becoming the youngest winner in Formula 1 history at 20 years old, which breaks Sebastian Vettel's record by three years. He leads Mercedes team-mate George Russell by 123 points in the drivers' championship. He needs to finish ninth or higher to secure the title if Russell wins, or 10th if Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton wins. The title is also his if neither Russell nor Hamilton wins the race on Sunday. Cadillac driver Valtteri Bottas is also missing media day due to illness. Cadillac stated that resting is a precautionary measure that does not affect his participation in the rest of the weekend. Bottas's team-mate Sergio Perez recently signed a contract to stay until at least 2029, while insiders report the team is considering replacing Bottas with American reserve driver Colton Herta.

Context

Formula 1 media days are mandatory events held before race weekends where drivers speak to journalists about the upcoming grand prix. Illnesses are rare reasons for missing these sessions, but teams often excuse drivers to protect their recovery time for high-speed practice and race days.