Mercedes F1 driver Kimi Antonelli has said he would love to team up with Max Verstappen for a GT endurance race. The 19-year-old highlighted their shared passion for the discipline and mentioned requesting a test at the Nordschleife. Antonelli made the comments in Shanghai following his first F1 win.
Mercedes Formula 1 driver Kimi Antonelli, aged 19, has voiced enthusiasm for partnering with Red Bull's Max Verstappen in an endurance race. Speaking in Shanghai after his maiden F1 victory at the Chinese Grand Prix, Antonelli noted their mutual interest in GT racing, influenced on his side by his father Marco's extensive experience in GT and TCR series with the family-run AKM Motorsport team. In 2023, Antonelli himself competed in an Italian GT round, securing pole position and a win at Misano on debut with AKM Motorsport. Antonelli stated: “I would love to do an endurance race with Max together. I think that would be pretty awesome. It's cool because we both have passion for GTs. Obviously, on my side, it came from my dad with the GT team.” He added that he occasionally tests in GT cars and has already asked for a session at the Nordschleife, a track he loves. Antonelli plans to watch Verstappen's upcoming Nurburgring 24 Hours debut on 14-17 May, where the four-time F1 world champion will drive a Mercedes-AMG GT3 for Winward Racing—his second outing there this year after a Ferrari 296 GT3 last season. Verstappen, despite his Red Bull F1 affiliation, has praised Antonelli's Chinese GP success: “It is fantastic, but I'm of course not surprised. This was definitely coming, and it won't be his last one.” While Antonelli's focus remains on F1, he views a future collaboration with Verstappen as a “really cool pair.”
