Mercedes AMG rookie driver Kimi Antonelli just took ownership of a new GT 63S but won’t be able to drive the car in his homeland – Italy, until he is 21-years-old.
Antonelli turned 18 in August last year and cannot drive a car with so much power, according to Italian law. He passed his driving test in January.
The rules in Italy dictate that if you have a driver's license for under three years, then you cannot drive a car that has a power output of over 105kw and have to keep it under 100km/h on highways. The AMG gifted to Antonelli has over 400 kW under the hood.
It would therefore be just but at the same time illegal for Antonelli to drive the rare model AMG in his homeland.
The young F1 driver recently broke the lap record around Suzuka Circuit and became the fastest driver around the Japanese track.
So, even though is the one of the fastest in the world of F1 at the moment, Antonelli has to leave the keys to that GT63 S on the wall for the next three years.
What makes it worse is the fact that it's not some inconspicuous car that can go by unnoticed. It is the pinnacle of Mercedes engineering and delivers throaty decibels. And, it's also the new star inside that makes it a combination ripe for the cameras.
The young Italian has enjoyed a tremendous start to his F1 career, racking up 30 points in his first three races for Mercedes. Least we also not forget that he was the replacement driver for Lewis Hamilton, so, you know … no pressure.
But Antonelli has shown nothing but poise since he got behind the wheel of the Mercedes and even given his “senior” teammate George Russell a few lessons on ‘how to go flatout’.
Antonelli was faster than Russell in both Australia and Japan. It’s no wonder why the Italian government won’t bend the rules and let young Kimi drive his new V8. Antonelli is fifth on the driver standings behind Russell, who leads him on points.
The paddock will assemble in Bahrain this weekend for the next race on the calendar.