Antonelli feeling 'tense' amid effort to seal F1 title

Key points

• Kimi Antonelli needs to finish ninth in Sunday's Mexico City Grand Prix to become F1's youngest world champion.
• Antonelli qualified fifth but will start fourth after a penalty for Max Verstappen.
• Antonelli said he feels 'more tense than usual' and is still recovering from an illness.

Kimi Antonelli has said he feels "more tense than usual" before attempting to secure the Formula 1 world championship at Sunday's Mexico City Grand Prix. The 20-year-old needs only to finish ninth to become the sport's youngest world champion.

Antonelli qualified fifth on Saturday but will start from fourth on the grid after a penalty for Max Verstappen. He is still recovering from an illness that caused him to miss media duties on Thursday.

Antonelli on his condition

Speaking after qualifying, Antonelli said: "It has not been the easiest weekend to be fair." He added that he is "definitely still not feeling 100 per cent" and that talk of the championship has made him more tense.

Antonelli described his final qualifying lap as "a poor lap, many mistakes here and there" but noted he was still fourth with "a lot to play for tomorrow." He finished within two tenths of pole-sitter Lewis Hamilton.

It has not been the easiest weekend to be fair.

— Kimi Antonelli

Norris praise for Antonelli

Lando Norris said he is "more than happy" to pass the number one to Antonelli when the Mercedes driver becomes world champion. Norris said Antonelli has "done an incredible job" in his second F1 season and deserves the title.