Lando Norris shares 'funky' advice as two F1 drivers suffer Mexico illness

Lando Norris has explained how he avoids "funky foods" and uses "bottled water" to avoid illness in Mexico, as two F1 drivers missed media day.

Kimi Antonelli, who will be crowned champion after Sunday's race if nearest rivals George Russell or Lewis Hamilton don't win the race, was given permission by the FIA to miss speaking to the media after contracting what Mercedes called a "viral illness."

Cadillac driver Valtteri Bottas was also then excused from his duties for feeling unwell.

The final 12 races of the season, from the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort on August 23rd to the planned finale in Abu Dhabi on December 6th are in a 15-week run, with four triple-headers broken up by one weekend off. 

These triple-headers are spread across Europe, Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe, and the Americas, with the final three races planned as a triple-header for Las Vegas-Qatar-Abu Dhabi, although the final two races are still uncertain given the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.

Norris, who is into his eighth season of F1, spoke of how he tries to avoid falling ill and the steps he takes as the championship crisscrosses the planet. 

"I'm pretty simple, so I try to avoid all of the funky foods," Norris explained to media, including RacingNews365, when asked about how he copes with travelling late in the season.

"I keep sticking to pasta; I just stick to pasta and a bit of chicken every now and then.

"Here [in Mexico], I don't have any tap water. I brush my teeth with bottled water and all that stuff, so it is simple things.

"I've been ill here in the past and the same in Brazil, so I guess over time, things become a little more predictable, and you know what to avoid.

"Luckily, as I'm quite fussy with my food, I avoid a lot of the stuff that can make me ill, but I also just rest.

"I have Monday and Tuesday off, just to myself to not do anything, and you don't realise it, but even marketing days just drain you a lot.

"I don't have a lot of time to recover, even though it is just talking and thinking about things all day, but when you're racing, when you're travelling, you need a good rest."

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Norris's travel arrangements

The outgoing champion also spoke of his preference for arriving early in countries to adapt and rest before races.

"It is just sleeping, getting to places on time, and a lot of people travel out very late," he said of his preparations.

"I prefer travelling out very early to places, so everyone has their own way of doing things."