Cadillac confirms Perez illness ahead of Mexican GP practice sessions

Perez was due to attend Friday's Fan Forum at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, where thousands of Mexican supporters have gathered for his home Grand Prix weekend.

However, Cadillac announced that the 36-year-old would not take part in the event because of illness, with the team deciding that additional rest would be the best option ahead of the opening practice sessions. Both Perez and Cadillac apologised to the supporters who had hoped to see him, particularly given the significance of the event for the Mexican driver.

Despite the change to his Friday schedule, Cadillac confirmed that Perez remains available for both FP1 and FP2. The decision means Perez can focus on recovering before returning to the cockpit for the first on-track running of the weekend.

Perez's absence comes just one day after teammate Valtteri Bottas was forced to miss Thursday's media activities due to illness. The Finnish driver was also given additional time to recover, although Cadillac subsequently confirmed that he would be available for Friday's scheduled commitments.

Bottas is set to complete his media duties before returning to the car for FP2. He will not participate in the opening practice session, with Colton Herta taking his place as part of the team's planned running programme.

The illnesses have affected several drivers during the Mexican Grand Prix weekend. Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli also missed Thursday's media activities while recovering from a viral illness, although the team confirmed that the championship leader is set to return to the circuit later today.