Antonelli has viral illness and will miss media duties in Mexico City

MEXICO CITY (AP) – Kimi Antonelli. This person could become the youngest Formula 1 champion in history this weekend, has a viral illness and will miss Thursday's media obligations at the Mexico City Grand Prix, Mercedes remarked.

Key points

• The 20-year-old Italian driver was scheduled to meet with the media Thursday afternoon at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
• If he secures the crown, he will become the first Italian driver to win the F1 world championship since Alberto Ascari in 1953.
• Antonelli traveled to Mexico after his victory at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, last weekend.
• "Kimi is feeling under the weather today as he recovers from a viral illness, " Mercedes remarked in an official note.
• To secure the title on his own terms, Antonelli needs only a ninth-place finish Sunday.

Meanwhile, the 20-year-old Italian driver was scheduled to meet with the media Thursday afternoon at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

"Kimi is feeling under the weather today as he recovers from a viral illness, " Mercedes remarked in an official note. "As a precaution, the FIA has excused him from his mandatory media duties to offer him the chance to rest ahead of the weekend. We expect him to be back tomorrow."

Cadillac driver Valtteri Bottas additionally missed Thursday's media commitments due to illness. See AP's full auto racing coverage here.

For now, antonelli has viral illness and will miss media duties in Mexico City remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.