How Antonelli drove through tears, fears and illness to claim his maiden title

Andrea Kimi Antonelli needed only a ninth-place finish in Mexico City to secure his maiden championship, but even this seemingly low-jeopardy objective was never going to be easy to achieve at the highest stakes weekend of his career.

Antonelli’s back was against the wall before he’d even strapped on his helmet for the first practice session in Mexico City.

In the days following his triumph in Austin, he’d developed a viral illness that laid him low in the build-up to his coronation weekend. He was excused from his usual pre-race media duties on Thursday, and though he was in the car for both Friday practice sessions, he kept a minimised profile as he attempted to accelerate his recovery.