Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli smashes karting lap record at Daytona, beating Alex Albon’s time by over five seconds in the wet.
Racing under the fake name “Henry Shovlin,” the Italian driver crushed the competition at the SODI D40 go-karting endurance race in Milton Keynes.
Antonelli’s incredible 1:24.5 lap time wasn’t just fast—it was over three seconds quicker than anyone else on the track.
Even more impressive, he beat Williams F1 driver Alex Albon’s previous best time in similar wet conditions by more than five seconds.
This isn’t the first time an F1 star has gone undercover at a racing event recently. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen pulled a similar move earlier this month when he tested at the legendary Nurburgring Nordschleife circuit.
Verstappen, using the alias “Franz Hermann,” managed to break the lap record at the famous German track often called the Green Hell.
The karting adventure shows just how talented these F1 drivers are, even in completely different vehicles.
Verstappen plays mentor role for rookies
Antonelli recently opened up about the support he’s gotten from Verstappen during his rookie F1 season, calling the four-time world champion the “dad of the rookies.”
The Mercedes newcomer has particularly appreciated Verstappen’s advice during tough times, especially when he faced online abuse after his incident with Lando Norris at the Qatar Grand Prix.
And Antonelli isn’t the only young driver benefiting from Verstappen’s mentorship.
Other rookies including Gabriel Bortoleto and Oliver Bearman have also mentioned how helpful the Dutch driver has been as they adjust to life in F1.
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