Kimi Antonelli's father races from Mugello to Mexico as family gathers for title weekend

The family's arrival comes during a difficult week for the Mercedes driver, who called in sick ahead of the Mexico City GP and was given permission to skip media day on Thursday.

Marco Antonelli is a familiar face in the paddock and is usually at his son's side at races. This week, however, he went home to Italy, because his GT team will take part in the final of the Italian GT championship this weekend at Mugello. He owns AKM Motorsport, a San Marino-based outfit that has competed in the Italian F4 Championship since 2022.

The final round of the Italian GT Endurance Cup at Mugello runs from 30 October to 1 November, which means a Friday departure takes Marco away before his own team's season is over. He was there for the big moments in Austin last weekend too as Antonelli was embraced by his father after securing his seventh pole of the campaign, and Antonelli went on to win the race.

Antonelli has already hinted at how he might celebrate. In comments relayed from La Gazzetta dello Sport, he said he would change his hair colour and suggested his parents would get a say in the result.

He has been more careful when the subject is the title itself. After Charles Leclerc pointed out that Mexico looked like the place where he would seal the championship, Antonelli replied: "I don't want to say that word just yet".

A title in Mexico would make Antonelli the youngest champion in Formula 1 history, beating the record Sebastian Vettel set in 2010. Asked about that season in Austin, the Italian said he could not remember it. "I don't remember that, when I was four years old. Yeah, I'm sorry. I remember, I was playing with Hot Wheels, but I don't remember him clinching it," he told the pre-race press conference. He said he watched the race later, once he was older.

Antonelli has already explained that he would keep his current race number in 2027, and the maths for Sunday is simple. Antonelli now needs only P9 in Mexico this weekend to secure the title, and that is before you account for what Max Verstappen and his rivals do. Whatever happens on Sunday, his family will be there to see it.