Formula 1 World Championship leader Kimi Antonelli: Progress on the first day in Mexico

A great many things would have to go wrong for Kimi Antonelli not to be crowned world champion on race day in Mexico. The young Italian from the Mercedes team only needs to finish ninth to extend his points lead to such an extent that none of his rivals in the title race can catch him.

Antonelli had secured victory in Austin, but afterwards he battled a viral infection which meant he was unable to fulfil his media commitments on Thursday. On Friday, he was back in the car and looked to be in good form. He finished the first practice session in second place on the timesheet, led by Ferrari star Charles Leclerc.

Kimi Antonelli: Front row still out of reach

The Monegasque driver also set the pace in the second practice session. Although Antonelli managed to reduce the gap to the leader, he had to settle for the fourth-fastest lap, as both McLaren star Lando Norris and his Mercedes team-mate George Russell completed the 4.304 km lap faster than he did.

Nevertheless, the 20-year-old Mercedes driver’s assessment of the day was positive. He explained: “First of all, it was nice to be back in the car today and to feel fit. It was an interesting Friday here in Mexico. It’s never easy to get a feel for the car, especially in the first practice session when the track still needs to be broken in. We tried out various things between the sessions to get the car’s balance into a better range, and it seems we were able to improve.”

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Mexico City: Rennen Re-Live

FIA Formula One World Championship

01.11.2026 - 23:15