Antonelli admits fatigue and title tension ahead of Mexico City GP

Kimi Antonelli heads into the Mexico City Grand Prix admitting he is tired, tense and short on energy, with illness and constant title talk testing the Mercedes driver’s composure.

Why it matters:

The championship fight is reaching its decisive phase, and Antonelli’s condition adds an unexpected variable for Mercedes. He missed Thursday media duties with a high fever and stomach problems. The worst has passed, but he is still short of sleep and not fully recovered.

The details:

• Antonelli qualified fourth, behind Mercedes teammate George Russell, as Lewis Hamilton took pole for Ferrari by 0.009s.
• He was within 0.001s of Lando Norris in final practice but could not put together a clean Q3 lap on new tyres.
• He admitted the lap was flawed beyond fatigue: “I did a lot of mistakes here and there.”
• Constant suggestions that the title battle is already settled have been hard to block out. “I’ve been a bit more tense than usual,” he said.
• Mercedes saved a new tyre set for Sunday, giving him a strategic option to move forward.

What’s next:

Antonelli’s first priority is recovery before the race. On track, the launch will be crucial on the long run to Turn 1, where he sees a chance to gain places but also to get caught in trouble. He expects Ferrari to have stronger race pace, but believes Mercedes can still fight if he starts cleanly.