F1 star joins go-karting race in disguise however doesn’t win after ‘breaking rules’
Despite the Formula 1 season finishing earlier this month, one star decided to go incognito at a packed go-kart racing session rather than head on holiday
Kimi Antonelli’s promising debut season ended earlier this month, but the Formula 1 star decided to return to the track instead of jetting off to the sunshine.
The Mercedes ace finished seventh in the Drivers’ Championship standings after recording three podium finishes in his rookie year. But the 19-year-old hasn’t followed suit of his rivals to chase the sun as he rocked up at Daytona Milton Keynes on Saturday.
Antonelli arrived incognito, registering under the name ‘Henry Shovlin’. However, the Italian did not win the race despite setting the fastest lap of the session.
Daytona staff said Antonelli failed to make the podium because he got “two penalties” for “pushing too hard”. But the result didn’t dampen his mood as he posed for a photo next to the timing board that boasted fellow F1 drivers Isack Hadjar, Yuki Tsunoda, Alex Albon and Sergio Perez.
The popular track has seen former F1 racers Adrian Sutil, Brendon Hartley and Karun Chandhok set times. F2 driver Oliver Goethe also took to the circuit alongside Hollywood star Tom Cruise and England cricket legend Sir Alistair Cook.
Speaking to the BBC, Daniel Prince from Daytona said Antonelli did the usual briefing and then raced with everyone else, but “no-one had a clue” who he was.
“He actually got two penalties for pushing too hard so didn’t finish on the podium at the end of it. But he did get the fastest lap of the race by at least three seconds,” he added.
It was only after Antonelli returned from the track and took his helmet off that people realised who he was.
“Everyone really mobbed him so a member of staff quickly rescued him and put him behind the desk for a cheeky photo by our celebrity leaderboard, and then he ran away and left,” Daniel said.
Antonelli scored 150 points as he filled the huge boots of Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes.
The seven-time world champion left the team after six world titles to join Ferrari, where he failed to finish on the podium, but still finished one place above the teenager in the standings with 156 points.
