Sergio Pérez to miss Mexico City fan forum through illness

Sergio Pérez withdrew from his home fan forum in Mexico City after falling ill on the morning of the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend, with Cadillac giving the 36-year-old extra time to rest before first practice at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

Why it matters:

Pérez's home race is one of the biggest weekends of his season, and his absence from a scheduled public appearance will be felt by Mexican fans. Cadillac moved quickly to make clear that the illness is not expected to affect his running in FP1 or FP2.

The details:

• Cadillac said Pérez would miss today's fan forum and apologised to supporters who had come out to see him.
• The team confirmed his participation in the remainder of the race weekend, including both practice sessions, is not affected.
• Pérez was not the only Cadillac driver troubled by illness this week: Valtteri Bottas withdrew from media duties on Thursday after feeling unwell.
• Bottas has since been declared fit and was given the all-clear to join second practice.

What's next:

Pérez is expected to return to the car for FP1, with Cadillac monitoring his condition. The team will hope the rest period is enough to keep its home-race weekend on track without further disruption.