2 drivers missed media day at the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix, and a third was beginning to feel unwell. That is hardly ideal preparation for a race weekend, particularly when one driver is closing in on the world championship and another is preparing for his 300th Grand Prix at home.

There was plenty happening away from the cars, too: a substantial camera equipment theft in the media center, a remarkably different-looking Nikola Tsolov, and a paddock full of color for Mexico’s Day of the Dead celebrations.

Antonelli, Bottas and Perez: What We Know About Their Illnesses

Word spread quickly on media day that Kimi Antonelli would not be coming to the circuit. Mercedes confirmed he was recovering from a viral illness. Despite the immediate speculation about a stomach complaint, that was not the explanation given.

About an hour later, we learned that Valtteri Bottas would also be absent. I spoke with Cadillac team principal Graeme Lowdon, who was quite open about the situation. Bottas had flu-like symptoms, but tests for both flu and COVID had come back negative.

Lowdon also said that Sergio Perez was developing similar symptoms, although his illness was at an earlier stage.

The important distinction is that missing media day did not mean any of them had been ruled out of the race. At that point, the prospect of both Cadillac drivers being too ill to compete looked remote. Even 1 replacement being needed remained only a possibility.

Cadillac Has 1 Reserve Driver, Not 2

Cadillac’s complication was straightforward: it had 1 reserve driver available for the weekend, not 2. Colton Herta was the reserve and was also scheduled to drive in FP1, the opening practice session.

There is a useful precedent for a substitute making an immediate impact. Oliver Bearman stepped in for an unwell Carlos Sainz at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and scored points. A reserve appearance can turn into a significant opportunity, even when it comes with very little notice.

For Perez, missing this particular race would be especially disappointing. Mexico City was set to be his 300th Grand Prix, in front of his home crowd. Earlier in the season, that milestone had looked likely to fall in Austin, but calendar changes shifted it to Mexico.

David Croft pointed out an intriguing detail during the day: no other driver had previously contested their 300th race at their home Grand Prix. It was a lovely bit of timing for Perez and Cadillac, provided he was well enough to take part.

Antonelli Could Clinch the Championship Without Racing

Antonelli’s situation carried an additional twist. My expectation on media day was that he would probably be fit enough for Sunday, but his championship position meant he could potentially secure the title even without being at the track.

• If Antonelli raced: a finish of 9th or better would seal the championship in Mexico City.
• If Antonelli could not race: George Russell or Lewis Hamilton would have to win to keep the championship alive.

That made his recovery the biggest sporting question of the weekend. There was still a difference, though, between the excitement around a possible title celebration and confirmation that he would be fit to drive.

Camera Gear Stolen From the Mexico Media Center

Wednesday brought a particularly unpleasant story for the photographers working at the event. An Australian photographer named Ryan had camera equipment worth tens of thousands of dollars stolen from his bag in the media center.

The room was not yet fully operational. Ryan and several others put their bags on the floor and stepped out. About 5 minutes later, he returned, picked up his bag and immediately noticed how light it felt.

Initially, he thought his mates were playing a joke. Unfortunately, 2 cameras and a range of lenses had genuinely disappeared. The loss was described as roughly $30,000.

Security footage reportedly showed 2 men working at floor level, appearing to install wiring beneath the desks. Instead, they were opening the camera bag, transferring equipment into another bag and then leaving quickly.

Wednesday is a busy setup day, with tradespeople and other workers moving through the facilities. There was additional activity because the upstairs press conference room had flooded. The room’s layout had to be reversed, moving the couch and backdrop to the opposite end.

Thankfully, that flooding did not happen during a press conference. But the amount of work underway helps explain why people apparently working beneath desks might not immediately have attracted attention.

A Painful Reminder About Equipment Security

This was not the first theft from an F1 media center. At Le Castellet, 2 lockers were completely emptied on one occasion. A long lens was taken from the Hungaroring media center, and photographers have also had camera straps cut to steal their cameras.

It is a gutting thing to discover that the equipment you rely on for work has gone.

The immediate change in Mexico was noticeable. Laptops were being put into lockers when their owners went out, and everyone was a little more alert. The practical lesson was not to assume that a familiar working environment made unattended equipment safe.

Nikola Tsolov’s New Look and an Important FP1 Appearance

Nikola Tsolov looked so different in Mexico that I did not recognize him at first.

I was walking through the paddock when I noticed Rudy, who photographs Racing Bulls, taking pictures of a couple of people I initially took to be mechanics. I kept going, glanced back, and only realized who one of them was when he came over to say hello.

It was quite a makeover. More importantly, Tsolov was very much in contention for a Racing Bulls seat, and his FP1 outing offered an important opportunity to make his case.

A practice appearance is not simply a chance to turn a few laps. In the middle of a competitive seat decision, it can become a significant part of a driver’s assessment. His performance in Mexico could help shape the discussion about the team’s 2027 lineup.

Day of the Dead Brings Color to the F1 Paddock

I love this event. The traffic can be a nightmare, but the atmosphere is fantastic, and the paddock keeps improving.

The white facades around the stairwells from the previous year had changed, and the area looked much better. There was a little less space around the main swipe gates where the drivers enter, but the welcome more than made up for it.

Performers dressed as Catrinas, with elaborate costumes and detailed body paint, greeted arriving drivers with marigolds as part of the Day of the Dead celebrations.

Those flowers produced some lovely little moments:

• Nico Hülkenberg accepted his, then passed it to another performer about 5 meters farther along.
• Oliver Bearman thanked the performers and handed his flower to his girlfriend, Alicia.
• Arvid Lindblad arrived in casual clothes and was apparently mistaken for someone accompanying his trainer, who received the flower instead.
• Carlos Sainz decided to tuck his marigold behind his ear.

Behind the performers was a memorial display featuring photographs of people from the F1 community who had died. It was a meaningful part of the setting, rather than simply decoration.

One photograph that particularly caught my attention was of Roscoe, Lewis Hamilton’s dog, who had died the previous year. It was a small inclusion, but a rather touching one.

Colapinto’s Half-Mexico, Half-Argentina Shirt

Franco Colapinto arrived wearing one of the more distinctive shirts of the day. It was effectively 2 football shirts sewn together: the Mexican national team shirt on his right side and Argentina’s on the other.

It was an effective way to acknowledge the host country while keeping his own national colors close.

His schedule also offered a reminder of how much a Grand Prix weekend involves away from driving. On Wednesday, Colapinto had attended 5 sponsor functions, finishing at about 9:30 p.m.

At a small gathering of about 14 people that I attended, he spoke Spanish with the largely Spanish-speaking group. These appearances generally involve answering questions, meeting guests and, above all, posing for selfies. There is a substantial amount of that work before the competitive running even begins.

The Push to Make Lance Stroll Driver of the Day

There was an unusual social media campaign gathering momentum ahead of Sunday: a push to vote Lance Stroll Driver of the Day.

Day of the Dead and Driver of the Day share the initials DOTD, which provided a neat connection for the weekend’s online chatter.

Stroll’s previous Driver of the Day award was back at the 2017 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. I was there for that race, when he came very close to finishing 2nd but ultimately took 3rd and a memorable podium.

Of course, any fan-led campaign in Mexico had the potential to be overshadowed by Antonelli winning the world championship.

There is also a naming detail worth getting right: this is officially the Mexico City Grand Prix. The city stepped in to fund the event when the national government would not, which explains the emphasis on Mexico City rather than simply Mexico.

Bearman’s Mascot Moment and a Thoughtful Paddock Gift

It is very hard not to like Ollie Bearman. One of the nicest little exchanges of the day involved the large marshal mascot in the paddock.

Bearman first stopped for a selfie, then leaned in to peer into the mascot’s eyes, apparently trying to work out who was inside.

As he walked away, the person inside called out an affectionate message, and Bearman warmly returned the sentiment. It was a brief interaction, but a lovely one. On the more serious side, his long-term future with Haas still had not been publicly confirmed at that point.

Elsewhere, Craig Slater was contemplating having Antonelli’s number 12 shaved into the back of his hair in anticipation of a championship celebration. When I spoke to him, he was still undecided. That was another question to leave until Sunday.

My own day included a wonderfully thoughtful gift from travel blogger Irene Sánchez Correa: a miniature figure of me, complete with a pink bucket hat, shorts, trainers and a camera around the neck.

The attention to detail was phenomenal, right down to the small drink container. A genuinely lovely gift, and a cheerful finish to a media day that had included rather more illness and equipment-security concerns than anyone would have wanted.

The main questions remained unresolved: would all 3 unwell drivers recover in time, would Perez reach his home-race milestone, and would Antonelli leave Mexico City as world champion? Media-day absences alone did not answer those questions, but they certainly added an unexpected layer to the weekend.