Max Verstappen’s appearance at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring impressed all enthusiasts, including his colleagues. This is the case of Antonelli, who in only his second year in Formula 1 already dreams of taking part in several endurance races. For now, it is just a wish, with the Italian currently preferring to dedicate himself entirely to the open-wheel Circus, but in the future it is not to be excluded that the Italian driver might also try his hand at endurance racing.
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Max Effect
On the eve of the Canadian Grand Prix, Antonelli commented on Verstappen’s performance at the Nordschleife, declaring himself open to following the example of the Dutch champion: “There are races outside of Formula 1 that I absolutely want to do. First and foremost is the 24 Hours of Nürburgring, but Le Mans is also very beautiful. Then there is the Petit Le Mans, while the 24 Hours of Daytona would also be a race to try. There are races I want to do outside of Formula 1, but I am at a stage where it is better that I focus only on F1. In the future, however, I will definitely do other things, like Max is doing.”
Family commitments prevented Kimi from attending the Ring marathon live, but the Italian still followed the event remotely: “I watched the race. Not all of it, but in parts. I followed the first three or four hours, then a bit during the night and then in the morning. It was a great race.” Needless to say, all attention was on Verstappen: “I also had his onboard and was ‘studying’ it. It was really nice.” Unfortunately, however, the outcome was not as hoped: “I was very sorry for Max, because he was heading towards victory. Unfortunately, he had a problem, but the race he did was incredible.”
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Sport Won
Verstappen’s enthusiasm at Nürburgring infected everyone, as testified by the record attendance at the circuit. According to Antonelli, it was a unique event that sparked passion and curiosity for endurance racing: “I think it was a really special weekend for sport in general, especially for covered wheels. Seeing a Formula 1 driver also passionate about other categories is a very beautiful thing and I think it was an amazing weekend.”
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