Late-season ’stress’ explains Antonelli illness

Kimi Antonelli has fallen ill on the eve of the Mexican GP weekend where he can easily become Formula 1’s youngest-ever world champion.

Mercedes confirmed that the 20-year-old missed all Thursday media activities because of a "viral illness".

"We expect him to be back tomorrow," the team said.

Antonelli needs only P9 on Sunday to secure the championship, after narrowly missing his first match point in Austin.

Valtteri Bottas is also unwell in Mexico, with Max Verstappen saying sickness is common as the long season reaches its closing stages.

"These triple headers put a lot of strain on the body," Verstappen said.

"Typically, at this time of year, not only the drivers but also mechanics and other team staff begin to fall ill."

"The body is under a lot of stress, and at some point, it simply needs time to recover."

Fernando Alonso, meanwhile, was notably complimentary about Antonelli amid his ongoing criticism of the "low" quality of drivers at the back of the grid following his Austin clash with Alex Albon.

"Certainly, when I see the results on Sundays, it seems his performance is always close to perfect," Alonso said.

"He never makes mistakes or has bad races. So that consistency and winning spirit have probably been the best thing about this year for him."