Kimi Antonelli took advantage of the summer break to participate in a karting race in Germany. The young Mercedes driver was photographed with a number of German F1 fans. Notably, he did not jump into the kart under his own name. He used the pseudonym ‘Franz Antonelli’, a clear nod to Max Verstappen’s first GT3 outings last year. The Dutchman tested as ‘Franz Hermann’ at the Nürburgring back then.
Antonelli was in Germany last week for a sponsor event at the Adidas headquarters, an important partner of the Mercedes F1 team. The visit was also centered around a friendly kart race at a local kart track. Various media reported that ‘Franz Antonelli’ took the win. On a relatively short circuit, he was reportedly more than 1.5 seconds faster than his closest competitor.
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Max Verstappen used the pseudonym ‘Franz Hermann’ when he first tested on the Nordschleife last year. Since then, the Dutchman has participated in several NLS races and the 24 Hours of Nürburgring. Kimi Antonelli has repeatedly confirmed that he also wants to venture into major GT3 events in the future. He may one day form a team with Verstappen, who has close ties with Mercedes through his GT3 activities. The young championship leader also dreams of a GT3 adventure with his father, who is active in motorsport through the family team Antonelli Motorsport.
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Read everything about the Dutch GP in Zandvoort here
