The 20-year-old Mercedes driver missed his scheduled media appearances at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez on Thursday, October 29, after falling ill. His team confirmed the development in a statement, explaining that the decision was made to give him time to recover before the race weekend.
"Kimi is feeling under the weather today as he recovers from a viral illness," Mercedes said. The team added that the FIA had excused him from his mandatory media duties as a precaution and that they expected him to return on Friday.
Despite the illness, Antonelli remains in a strong position to make Formula 1 history. A victory at the Mexico Grand Prix could make him the youngest world champion in the sport's history and Italy's first champion in more than 70 years.
He currently holds a 123-point advantage over Mercedes teammate George Russell and leads Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton by 124 points. Antonelli needs just two more points to mathematically secure the championship.
Finishing ninth or higher would guarantee him the title, regardless of how his closest competitors perform. If he finishes 10th, he would still become champion unless Russell wins the race.
Antonelli arrives in Mexico following an impressive victory at the United States Grand Prix in Austin on October 25. The win further strengthened his championship campaign, having now secured nine Grand Prix victories during the 2026 season.
Before the Austin race, the young driver spoke about the possibility of surpassing Sebastian Vettel's record as Formula 1's youngest champion. Vettel was 23 years and 134 days old when he secured his maiden title with Red Bull Racing in 2010.
Antonelli admitted he had little recollection of Vettel's historic achievement because he was only four years old at the time.
"I remember, I was playing with Hot Wheels, but I don't remember him clinching it," he joked during a press conference.
He later watched footage of the race and described the closely contested championship battle involving Vettel, Hamilton and Red Bull teammate Mark Webber as remarkable.
Reflecting on his own championship chances, Antonelli said he was in an incredible position but remained focused on delivering strong performances rather than getting ahead of himself.
He insisted his approach would remain unchanged, whether he secured the championship in Mexico, the following weekend or later in Brazil.
