F1 Pilot Kimi Antonelli Gets Gift Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S That He’s Banned from Driving
He might be one of the quickest 18-year-olds on Earth, but Italian law won’t let F1 driver Kimi Antonelli drive his new car.
Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 driver, has a new toy in his toybox. It’s a Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S. For just about any other 18-year-old on the planet, a $208,400 super tourer is a bad idea. Especially one with massive power reserves like the GT 63 S. Almost an automotive sacrifice. But this Antonelli, one of the fastest 18-year-olds on the planet.
The Italian F1 driver replaced seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton as the Brit headed for Scuderia Ferrari. In short, Antonelli has no trouble going fast and doing so in a controlled manner. But that doesn’t change his age, and Italian law has something to say about things. Namely, the authorities won’t let Kimi Antonelli drive his new wheels.
See, according to Italian law, a new driver is relegated to vehicles with no more than 100 horsepower per ton for the first three years of their license, per Motorsport.
Considering Antonelli received his hot-off-the-press driving license last December, he’s going to be waiting a while. It’s not just a small margin, either. His new GT 63 S produces around 577 horsepower per ton. Not even close.
All this despite Antonelli’s rather commendable performance in the current F1 season. On the one hand, Red Bull Racing straight-up canned Australian driver Liam Lawson for underperforming. On the other hand, Antonelli receives gift cars and sits in the number five spot overall, just behind his teammate, George Russell.
In the meantime, Kimi Antonelli will have to make do with hurtling around the track in a much faster, more sophisticated Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 car. Our hearts melt for you, Kimi. One thing is for sure: Antonelli will have quite the car to drive in three years.
Photos: Mercedes-AMG
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