Mercedes F1 star Kimi Antonelli makes bold pitch for Max Verstappen to become his team-mate

Max Verstappen, Kimi Antonelli, Bahrain, 2026 — Photo: © IMAGO

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Kimi Antonelli makes bold pitch for Max Verstappen to become his team-mate

Verstappen and Antonelli may one day race for the same team

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Monday 23 March 2026 10:56

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Mercedes F1 star Kimi Antonelli has made a passionate pitch for he and four-time champion Max Verstappen to be paired up as team-mates.

The 19-year-old enjoyed an emotional weekend in Formula 1 last time out in Shanghai when he made history as the youngest grand prix polesitter, later going on to claim his very first grand prix victory in just his second season.

The Italian had no chance of breaking the record for the youngest F1 race winner however, as that still belongs to Verstappen thanks to his impressive victory at the Spanish Grand Prix in 2016, where he won on debut with the main Red Bull team at the tender age of 18 years, 7 months and 15 days.

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As a result of Antonelli's victory and the success of his team-mate George Russell in the opening rounds of the 2026 championship, the Silver Arrows have emerged as the frontrunners amid the F1 regulations overhaul, with Russell and Mercedes now leading both championships.

Meanwhile, Verstappen has picked up just eight points after the first two races. So, during a weekend off from F1, he swapped out his tiresome Red Bull machinery to race the Mercedes-AMG GT3 in the Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS).

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Antonelli and Verstappen a dream lineup?

Verstappen's Nurburgring return initially ended in glory for the Dutchman and his Winward Mercedes-AMG team-mates Dani Juncadella and Jules Gounon, who took pole position and the NLS2 win on Saturday.

But just hours after claiming victory, the No.3 Mercedes team were disqualified for a breach of the strict tyre regulations.

The one positive Verstappen can take from the disqualification is that it does not take away the fact he has now gained vital track experience at the iconic German circuit, something he is in need of ahead of his entry into the Nurburgring 24 Hours in May.

And it seems his GT racing exploits have inspired young Antonelli, who, prior to the Dutchman's disqualification, told Crash that he would love to race on the same team as Verstappen in an endurance event one day.

"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," said Antonelli in a recent interview.

"Obviously, on my side, it came from my dad with the GT team, and occasionally, I go and test - when I can.

"Obviously, Max as well has been really enjoying it, and it’s really cool for him to do the 24 Hours of the Nurburgring. I think it’s going to be a really cool event, and I’ll definitely be watching it.

"It’s something 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 I think it would be a really cool experience. But it’s something that I’ve been considering as well.

"I’ve already asked to do a test at the Nordschleife, for example, because it’s a track that I love and I would really love to be able to try it in the real world as well," Antonelli concluded.

F1 Max Verstappen Mercedes Kimi Antonelli Nürburgring Nurburgring Nordschleife