The race weekend at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez has presented the toughest physical and mental test for Kimi Antonelli on his path to potentially clinching the Formula 1 world championship. The young Italian driver admitted that he felt unusually tense behind the wheel while battling lingering illness ahead of the crucial qualifying session at the Mexico City Grand Prix.
Although he holds a golden opportunity to secure the 2026 drivers' crown by finishing ninth or higher, things inside the Mercedes garage have not flowed as smoothly as usual. During qualifying, he ended up slower than his teammate, George Russell, after struggling to extract peak grip and making several minor mistakes across crucial corners.
Antonelli's physical condition took a major hit on Thursday due to a high fever and stomach issues that forced him to skip media day. Although his health has improved, his energy levels remain depleted, compounded by the psychological weight of constant chatter in the paddock regarding his impending world title.
“I feel very tired to be fair; I still haven't recovered completely,” Antonelli explained regarding the challenging situation inside the team.
“It hasn't been an easy weekend to be fair, and definitely I've been a bit more tense than usual, especially when you keep hearing, wherever you go, any time of the day, the same thing, and people telling that the title is already done.”
“And knowing myself... I've been trying to block this noise as much as possible, but it hasn't been easy. Definitely, I've been a bit more tense today, but I felt decent in Q2, especially on the used tyre. Then in Q3 on the new tyre, I struggled to put the lap together, just to find the grip.”
Radio communications with his seasoned race engineer, Peter Bonnington, quickly highlighted where lap time leaked away around the Mexican circuit. The time losses accumulated mostly through turns five and six, alongside minor drop-offs in traction through subsequent technical sections.
Nevertheless, starting from fourth position keeps victory and championship glory firmly within reach. Having saved a fresh set of tires during qualifying could prove decisive on race day, with the Italian driver focusing on deep sleep and recovery ahead of the lights out.
“But I feel we have a good chance tomorrow, still P4, and we saved a set of new tyres, so hopefully we can use that and move forward,” he concluded.
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