Kimi Antonelli says taking part in an endurance race with Max Verstappen would be awesome
F1 NewsSaturday, 21 March 2026 at 22:25
Kimi Antonelli has revealed his ambition to one day share an endurance car with Max Verstappen, admitting the prospect of teaming up at the Nurburgring 24 Hours is “pretty awesome” as the Dutchman prepares for his latest GT outing.
Verstappen is set to contest this year’s Nurburgring 24 Hours in May, slotting the event between the Miami and Canadian Grands Prix. He will drive a Mercedes AMG GT3 run by Winward Racing, carrying Red Bull colors, as he continues to expand his program beyond Formula 1.
The move follows Verstappen’s winning GT3 debut at the Nordschleife last September, underlining his growing interest in endurance racing, a discipline that also strongly appeals to Antonelli.
The Mercedes driver pointed to shared passion as the foundation for a potential partnership, stating: “That would be super cool. 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 the passion for GTs. On my side it came from my dad with the GT team, and occasionally I go and test when I can," he added.
The Italian highlighted how his background has shaped his interest in GT racing. His father Marco Antonelli has competed in the category and runs AKM Motorsport, giving him early exposure to endurance machinery and race environments beyond single seaters.
Antonelli targeting Nordschleife experience
That influence is now feeding into his own ambitions, with Antonelli already pushing for opportunities to gain experience at one of motorsport’s most demanding circuits.
He explained: “Obviously Max as well has been really enjoying it. It’s really cool for him to do the 24 Hours of Nurburgring. I think it’s going to be a really cool event and definitely I’ll be watching it.
“It’s something that in the future I would really like to do, to race with him in an endurance race. I think we would be a really cool pair, and it would be a really cool experience.
“It’s something that I’ve been considering as well," the Mercedes youngster revealed. "I’ve already asked to do a test at the Nordschleife, for example, because it’s a track that I love. I would love to be able to try it in the real world as well.”
Antonelli secured his maiden F1 victory in Shanghai after winning the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix from pole.
Antonelli now sits second in the2026 F1 Drivers’ Championship on 47 points, just 4 behind Russell. (Reporting by Agnes Carlier)
Latest News
Loading
