Kimi Antonelli shares details of Mexico illness as title history awaits

Kimi Antonelli has opened up about the illness he has been suffering from throughout the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend.

In the build-up to the race weekend, the Italian was excused from media duties on Thursday as he focused on getting himself ready for driving.

Antonelli sits on the verge of winning his maiden F1 title this weekend, needing only a ninth-place result on Sunday to become the youngest champion in the sport's history.

However, the weekend has not been up to par with his usual standards on display this year, as he revealed he is still suffering from an ailment.

When asked how bad his condition was on Thursday, Antonelli told media including RacingNews365: “Very bad. 

“I had high fever and stomach problems, so it hasn't been easy. Now I feel okay. Just low in energy. 

“Just feeling pretty tired, so it's going to be important to try and sleep well because I haven't been sleeping well in these days.

“Hopefully tomorrow I will have more energy.”

Antonelli keen to avoid chaos at 'tricky' Turn 1

Antonelli ended qualifying on Saturday in fifth place, but will be bumped up one position on the starting grid due to a penalty for Max Verstappen.

With the run to Turn 1 from the starting grid being the longest of the season, there is an opportunity for Antonelli to make up positions from the second row of the grid.

While it's a possibility he is aware of, Antonelli highlighted his desire is to get through the opening corner safely as he hopes to close out the title fight.

“It's a long run into Turn 1, so it's just going to be important to get off the line well,” he said. 

“Hopefully, we can gain a couple of places. Of course, we'll have to stay out of trouble as well because Turn 1 is always very tricky. 

“If we get a good start, we have a good chance to then move forward. The race pace is still not as strong as Ferrari, but I think we can still do well.”