{
  "id": 17130251,
  "title": "Antonelli struck with illness ahead of Mexico GP",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/29/antonelli-struck-with-illness-ahead-of-mexico-gp",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-29T21:08:40.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/sports/2026/10/30/antonelli-struck-with-illness-ahead-of-mexico-gp"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Mercedes reserve driver Frederik Vesti is likely to take Kimi Antonelli's place at the Mexico GP if the Italian is too ill to compete. On Thursday, a spokesperson for the 20-year-old Italian revealed that he was excused from media duties due to a viral illness. The FIA allowed him to rest and recover before the race, with Mercedes expecting him to return the following day. Antonelli had been leading the drivers' title race by a substantial margin, with 123 points ahead of George Russell and 124 ahead of Lewis Hamilton. Illness also struck Cadillac driver Valtteri Bottas, who was granted a day of rest by his team. If Antonelli is unable to race, Vesti, a rookie in Formula One, will make his debut for Mercedes. The team emphasized the importance of maintaining discipline and focusing on fundamentals as they approach the championship battle.",
  "summary": "The Mercedes team said the Italian driver was unwell with a viral illness and was excused from media duties by the FIA to rest and recover.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "Antonelli reports sick ahead of momentous Mexico weekend",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/29/antonelli-reports-sick-ahead-of-momentous-mexico-weekend",
        "published": "2026-10-29T18:59:40.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}