Antonelli and Bottas miss Mexico City media day with illness
Mercedes and Cadillac both confirmed on Thursday that Kimi Antonelli and Valtteri Bottas were unwell and skipped the Mexico City media day. Both teams expect their drivers to take part in the rest of the weekend, which starts with first practice on Friday.
Two absences in ten minutes
The build-up to the Mexico City Grand Prix lost two of its best-known faces on Thursday. Mercedes said that Kimi Antonelli, the championship leader, was "under the weather" and still recovering from a viral illness. Cadillac followed about ten minutes later with the news that Valtteri Bottas was also unwell and could not attend media day either.
According to Crash.net and Autosport, the FIA excused Antonelli from his mandatory media duties so that he could rest, and Mercedes expects him back at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on Friday.
What the teams said
Cadillac described Bottas's absence as a precautionary measure that "does not currently affect his participation in the remainder of the race weekend", according to RacingNews365. The team gave him a day of rest to support his recovery and said it would keep monitoring the situation and provide updates if needed.
RacingNews365 adds that teams must request a medical dispensation to excuse a driver from mandatory media work. Returning to the car needs clearance from team doctors or, if necessary, the FIA Medical Delegate. It was not yet clear whether either driver would need that clearance before Friday's first session. Autosport notes that a reserve call-up is considered unlikely: Mercedes' reserve is Frederik Vesti, Cadillac's is Zhou Guanyu.
Why it matters
Antonelli arrives in Mexico as the points leader after his ninth win of the season in the United States Grand Prix, and Crash.net puts his lead over team-mate George Russell at 123 points. If he wins the title, he would become the youngest champion in the sport's history. Mercedes has not suggested that the illness changes his plans for the weekend.
For Bottas the timing is awkward in a different way. Cadillac confirmed Sergio Perez's new contract until at least 2029 on Wednesday but gave no update on the second 2027 seat, and Bottas's future remains the subject of speculation.
The first practice session in Mexico City starts on Friday, with the race on Sunday 1 November.
Sources
Topics: Kimi Antonelli, Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes, Cadillac
