News Summary
- Andrea Kimi Antonelli will miss Thursday’s Mexican Grand Prix media activities while recovering from a viral illness, with the FIA excusing the Mercedes driver from his mandatory duties.
- Valtteri Bottas has also withdrawn from media day because of illness, with Cadillac allowing the Finn to rest as a precaution.
- Neither driver has been ruled out of the Mexican Grand Prix weekend. Mercedes expects Antonelli back on Friday, while Cadillac says Bottas’s participation remains unaffected at present.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Valtteri Bottas will both miss Thursday’s (October 29) media activities at the 2026 Mexican Grand Prix after falling ill ahead of the Formula 1 weekend. Mercedes confirmed that championship leader Antonelli is recovering from a viral illness and has received permission from the FIA to skip his mandatory media commitments, while Cadillac has given Bottas a day of rest as a precaution.
The news comes at a particularly important moment for Antonelli, who can secure his first Formula 1 World Championship at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez on Sunday. Mercedes expects the Italian to return on Friday, while Cadillac has stressed that Bottas’s illness does not currently affect his participation in practice, qualifying or the Grand Prix.
Antonelli excused from Mexico media duties by FIA
Mercedes confirmed that Antonelli would not take part in Thursday’s scheduled media activities.
The 20-year-old is recovering from a viral illness, prompting the team to seek an exemption from the FIA’s mandatory driver media requirements.
The governing body granted the request, allowing Antonelli additional time to rest before the first official track session on Friday.
“Kimi is feeling under the weather today as he recovers from a viral illness,” the team explained.
“As a precaution, the FIA has excused him from his mandatory media duties to give him the chance to rest ahead of the weekend.”
Mercedes added that it expects the championship leader to return the following day.
“We expect him to be back tomorrow.”
The statement does not indicate that Antonelli has been declared unfit to race or that his participation in the Mexican Grand Prix is in doubt.
Instead, the decision is a precaution intended to support his recovery ahead of a potentially decisive weekend.
Antonelli is just two points away from F1 World Championship
The timing of Antonelli’s illness is significant because the Italian arrives in Mexico with an opportunity to become World Champion.
He leads the standings with 365 points, having won nine Grands Prix during the 2026 season.
Mercedes teammate George Russell occupies second place with 242, while Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton has 241.
The championship leader therefore holds advantages of 123 and 124 points respectively, with five races and a maximum of 125 points remaining.
Antonelli needs only ninth place in Sunday’s Mexican Grand Prix to secure the title, regardless of Russell’s or Hamilton’s finishing positions.
The complete mathematical scenarios for Antonelli to win the World Championship in Mexico explain how the championship could be decided.
His position was strengthened by victory at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, where he converted pole position into his ninth win of the year.
Antonelli has also indicated that he intends to retain his familiar racing number 12 in 2027, even if he becomes champion.
As GRANDE PRÊMIO reported following his interview with Blick, the Italian prefers to continue using the number associated with his junior career and Ayrton Senna.
For now, however, his immediate priority is recovering sufficiently to prepare for Friday practice.
Cadillac confirms Bottas will also miss Thursday’s media activities
Bottas is facing a similar interruption to his Mexican Grand Prix preparations.
Cadillac confirmed that the Finnish driver would not attend Thursday’s scheduled media commitments because he is unwell.
The American team decided to allow him to rest rather than continue with his usual activities at the circuit.
“Valtteri Bottas will unfortunately be unable to attend today’s media day in Mexico City as he is unwell,” Cadillac said.
“The team has taken the decision to allow him a day of rest, to support his recovery.”
The manufacturer emphasised that the decision was precautionary.
“This is a precautionary measure and does not currently affect his participation in the remainder of the race weekend.”
Cadillac added that it would continue monitoring Bottas’s condition and provide further updates if necessary.
Unlike Antonelli, whose team specifically identified a viral illness, Cadillac has not disclosed the cause of Bottas’s symptoms.
There is therefore no confirmed basis to assume that both drivers are suffering from the same illness.
Bottas already scheduled to miss Mexico FP1 for Herta
Bottas’s situation has an additional complication because he was already due to miss Friday’s opening practice session.
Cadillac previously confirmed that Colton Herta will replace the Finn in FP1, giving the American his fifth official Formula 1 practice appearance of 2026.
The session is particularly important for Herta because he is attempting to accumulate the points required for an FIA Super Licence.
The American needs to meet the required running conditions to potentially add another point in Mexico.
Bottas was therefore not scheduled to drive in FP1 even before Thursday’s illness announcement.
He is expected to resume his regular programme in FP2, subject to his recovery.
Cadillac has not announced any change to Herta’s planned participation or Bottas’s remaining race-weekend schedule.
The illness should not be interpreted as confirmation that Bottas will miss qualifying or Sunday’s race.
Mercedes and Cadillac prepare for Friday’s opening sessions
The Mexican Grand Prix begins with FP1 on Friday, October 30, at 12:30pm local time, followed by FP2 at 4:00pm.
Mercedes has already scheduled Frederik Vesti to replace Russell in the opening session, meaning Antonelli is expected to be the team’s only regular race driver participating in FP1.
The Italian’s recovery is therefore particularly relevant to Mercedes’ preparation, although no change to the team’s Friday line-up has been announced.
Mexico also presents unusual technical challenges because Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez sits approximately 2,240 metres above sea level.
The thinner air affects aerodynamic performance, engine cooling and energy management.
Those demands are particularly relevant under the 2026 technical regulations, as explained in GRANDE PRÊMIO’s analysis of Mexico’s high-altitude challenge for the new hybrid engines.
Mexican Grand Prix 2026 — Weekend timetable
| Session | Mexico City (CST) | UK (GMT) | Brasília (BRT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| FP1 — Friday, October 30 | 12:30pm | 6:30pm | 3:30pm |
| FP2 — Friday, October 30 | 4:00pm | 10:00pm | 7:00pm |
| FP3 — Saturday, October 31 | 11:30am | 5:30pm | 2:30pm |
| Qualifying — Saturday, October 31 | 3:00pm | 9:00pm | 6:00pm |
| Grand Prix — Sunday, November 1 | 2:00pm | 8:00pm | 5:00pm |
The full Mexican Grand Prix timetable and worldwide start times provide additional information for international viewers.
Mercedes expects Antonelli to resume his activities on Friday, while Cadillac has maintained Bottas’s planned participation subject to further medical developments.
Any change to either driver’s status would require a fresh team announcement or medical assessment.
GRANDE PRÊMIO is following every session of the Mexican Grand Prix this weekend, with breaking news, full coverage and real-time updates in its Formula 1 section.
