Max Verstappen believes that Formula 1’s relentless schedule is responsible for two drivers – Kimi Antonelli and Valtteri Bottas – feeling under the weather ahead of this weekend’s Mexico City Grand Prix

With the championship entering its final stretch and teams facing an exhausting sequence of back-to-back races, the four-time world champion believes the calendar itself offers a pretty obvious explanation for why two rivals have been forced to slow down.

Antonelli and Bottas were both absent from Thursday’s media commitments ahead at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, with illness keeping them away from the paddock's usual pre-race routine.

For Antonelli, the timing is particularly unfortunate. The 20-year-old Italian is chasing his maiden world championship and could potentially seal the title on Sunday, but Mercedes confirmed that he had been excused from his media duties to recover from a viral illness.

Bottas was also sidelined, Cadillac confirming that its driver was unwell without providing further details.

Verstappen, however, sees little mystery in the situation. After a season of relentless travel and physical demands, he believes the human body eventually collects its dues.

A calendar that takes its toll

The 2026 campaign originally featured 24 rounds before the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was cancelled following the outbreak of war in the Middle East. That still leaves 23 races, with the paddock currently navigating the second of three consecutive triple-headers to close out the season.

Asked about Antonelli and Bottas falling ill, Verstappen pointed to the accumulated strain of life on the road.

"It is, of course, always quite tough on your body, like three weeks in a row. Sometimes you can get a little bit unlucky with whatever, a stomach bug,” Verstappen said.

"But it's normally around this time of the year that not only drivers, but mechanics and people in the team get sick. Because your body can take a lot of stress. But at one point, of course, it also tells you when it needs a little recovery phase.

"That's something that you need to stay on top of. And some years it goes a bit better than others. I think you try to learn about it as well a little bit with the more seasons that you do. Sometimes some things are things that you can't prevent. But for sure, it's always very tough.

Family time sacrificed on the road

For Verstappen, the physical demands are only part of the problem. The Dutchman has become increasingly candid about the less glamorous side of F1's expanding calendar, particularly the personal sacrifices involved in spending weeks away from home.

"For me, the toughest bit is that you can't really go home in between to be back with the family. That, for me, is nowadays something that I do not really enjoy about triple-headers,” he argued.

There is also uncertainty hanging over the closing rounds. With the Middle East situation still volatile, the planned season-ending visits to Qatar on November 29 and Abu Dhabi on December 6 remain subject to the wider geopolitical picture.

F1 has a contingency plan to bring the championship to a close at Imola after 22 rounds should those events be cancelled.

For now, Mexico is another demanding stop on an already punishing itinerary. And if Antonelli and Bottas are reminders of anything, it is that even the fittest people in the paddock cannot keep running indefinitely without paying a price.