Why Mercedes has banned Kimi Antonelli from the Nurburgring
Mercedes won't allow Kimi Antonelli to race at the Nurburgring. Here's why...
Mercedes is temporarily blocking Formula 1 championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli from competing at the Nordschleife.
Antonelli, who leads the F1 world championship by 20 points from Mercedes team-mate George Russell, recently revealed his desire to follow in the footsteps of Max Verstappen and race at the legendary Nurburgring.
The 19-year-old Italian said he wanted to obtain the DMSB Nordschleife Permit (DPN) “by the end of the year”.
But his Mercedes team will not give permission for Antonelli to do so for the time being.
When asked if Mercedes would allow Antonelli to drive at the Nurburgring this year, Mercedes’ deputy team principal Bradley Lord told Nitro: “No. I’ve spoken to him about it. I think he meant it more as a joke.”
Lord jokingly quipped that Antonelli could “give it a try after four world championships” and added Verstappen has “perhaps has a bit more range thanks to his experience”.
Four-time world champion Verstappen’s hopes of winning the Nurburgring 24 Hours race on his debut were wrecked by a late driveshaft issue with his team’s car.
Verstappen, along with team-mates Dani Juncadella, Lucas Auer and Jules Gounon, were leading the race by around 30 minutes with just over three hours remaining when the problem struck.
The Dutchman expressed his target of returning to the race in 2027, saying: "I will for sure try. It always depends a bit on my calendar.”
Verstappen’s participation in this year’s Nurburgring 24 Hours was possible because the race took place between the F1 Miami and Canadian Grands Prix.
For the time being, Antonelli’s focus will remain on F1 and his bid to become a world champion for the first time.
Antonelli has made F1 history by becoming the first F1 driver to convert his first three pole positions into victories.
He will be looking to make it four wins in a row at this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal.
Mercedes has enjoyed an unbeaten start to the 2026 season and currently sits top of the of the constructors’ championship on 180 points. The Silver Arrows are 70 points clear of nearest rivals Ferrari in second place.
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