Max Verstappen’s high-profile appearance at the legendary Nürburgring 24 Hours has left a lasting impression on motorsport fans worldwide, including his direct rivals on the grand prix grid. Among those inspired is Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who, despite being in only his second season of Formula 1, is already dreaming of testing his race craft across various iconic endurance events. While the young Italian driver clarifies that this remains a long-term ambition for now—preferring to keep his immediate focus fully locked on the open-wheel world of the F1 circus—he certainly isn’t ruling out a future crossover into sports car racing.
The Max effect: Antonelli outlines his ultimate sports car wishlist
Speaking ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix weekend, Antonelli openly discussed Verstappen’s stellar performance on the fearsome Nordschleife layout, expressing a keen interest in following the footsteps of the multi-time world champion.
“There are races outside of Formula 1 that I would absolutely love to do. First and foremost is the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring, but Le Mans is also beautiful. Then there is Petit Le Mans, and the 24 Hours of Daytona would be another race to experience. There are several races I want to tackle outside of Formula 1, but I am currently in a phase where it is better for me to focus entirely on F1. In the future, however, I will definitely do other things as well, just like Max is doing,” Antonelli stated.
While family commitments ultimately prevented the Mercedes starlet from attending the grueling German marathon in person, he made sure to follow the trackside action closely from afar.
“I watched the race. Not all of it, but in segments. I followed the first three or four hours, then a bit during the night, and again in the morning. It was a really great race,” Antonelli explained, revealing that his tracking loops were trained entirely on the leading Red Bull driver. “I even had his onboard camera open and I was ‘studying’ him. It was truly brilliant.” Unfortunately, the spectacular run didn’t yield the fairy-tale conclusion the paddock expected: “I felt so incredibly sorry for Max, because he was heading straight toward the victory. Unfortunately, he suffered a mechanical issue, but the race he put together was simply unbelievable.”
A historic weekend for global motorsport
Verstappen’s infectious enthusiasm for the Nürburgring completely electrified the fan base, drawing record-breaking crowds to the German venue. According to Antonelli, the crossover event was a unique milestone that successfully ignited a fresh wave of passion and curiosity for modern endurance racing.
“I believe it was a truly special weekend for motorsport in general, and especially for sports car racing. Seeing a Formula 1 driver show such deep passion for other categories is a beautiful thing, and I think it was an absolutely wild weekend,” Kimi Antonelli concluded.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s open admiration for Max Verstappen’s endurance racing pursuits highlights how crucial diverse sporting inspiration remains within modern Formula 1 tracking loops. While factory design departments and trackside engineering units continuously process real-time telemetry logs and software mapping variables to maximize single-seater chassis compliance, a driver’s psychological desire to test their boundaries across different disciplines keeps their competitive edge incredibly sharp. As the paddock prepares for the unique operational constraints and low-speed barrier tracking of the upcoming Monaco street circuit, maintaining absolute concentration on single-lap execution remains a paramount priority for the young Italian. If the Brackley squad can continuously support Antonelli’s raw intuition with an uncompromised mechanical package on Sunday, the rising star possesses the precise focus needed to secure routine grand prix victories before eventually chasing his multi-discipline endurance dreams later in his career.
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