Mercedes Components 1 driver Kimi Antonelli has expressed a want to workforce up with Max Verstappen for an endurance race, revealing he has already requested for a Nordschleife take a look at.
Antonelli’s household has sturdy ties to sportscar racing, along with his father Marco an achieved driver in his personal proper with a long time of expertise in GT and TCR equipment.
The 19-year-old has himself proven inclination in the direction of this type of motorsport and contested an Italian GT spherical along with his family-run AKM Motorsport workforce in 2023, scoring a pole place and a victory at Misano on his debut.
There was renewed curiosity amongst F1 drivers to discover sportscar racing following the information that Purple Bull star Verstappen will deal with the Nurburgring 24 Hours for the primary time this 12 months, driving a Mercedes-AMG GT3 run by Winward Racing.
Whereas Antonelli’s major focus lies in F1, the place he turned a first-time race winner on the Chinese language Grand Prix, the 19-year-old stated he would welcome a possibility to share a cockpit along with his F1 rival Verstappen.
“I’d like to do an endurance race with Max collectively,” Antonelli stated in Shanghai. “I believe that might be fairly superior. It is cool as a result of we each have ardour for GTs. Clearly, on my facet, it got here from my dad with the GT workforce.
“Sometimes, I am going and take a look at once I can, and clearly, Max as effectively has been actually having fun with it. It is actually cool for him to do the 24 hours of Nurburgring. I believe it should be a very cool occasion, and positively I will be watching it.
“It is one thing that sooner or later I would love to do, to race with him in an endurance race.
“I believe it could be a very cool pair and will probably be a very cool expertise, however it’s one thing that I have been contemplating as effectively.
“I’ve already requested for a take a look at on the Nordschleife, for instance, as a result of it is a monitor that I like, and I’d love to have the ability to attempt it in the true world as effectively.”
#3 Mercedes-AMG Staff Verstappen Racing, Mercedes AMG GT3 EVO: Max Verstappen, Daniel Juncadella, Jules Gounon
Photograph by: Max Verstappen
Though Verstappen drives for Mercedes’ rival Purple Bull in F1, the four-time world champion has joined forces with the German producer for his sportscar racing exploits this 12 months.
Whereas he made his Nordschleife debut on the wheel of a Ferrari 296 GT3 final 12 months, he’ll change to the venerable Mercedes-AMG GT3 for his two deliberate outings on the legendary German venue this 12 months, together with the Nurburgring 24 Hours debut on 14-17 Could.
This partnership may thus allow a future tie-up with Antonelli, who rose by the ranks as a Mercedes F1 junior and is now a part of its grand prix workforce.
Verstappen was filled with reward for Antonelli following the latter’s maiden win in F1, saying the teenager has a vibrant future within the sequence.
“It’s incredible, however I am in fact not stunned,” he stated. “This was positively coming, and it will not be his final one.”
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