'Franz Hermann' returns to Germany – but this time it's Franz Antonelli

Kimi Antonelli has emulated the exact same move Max Verstappen pulled during his first GT outings last year, reportedly adopting the pseudonym "Franz Antonelli" to race "undercover" in a go-kart event. Max Verstappen first used the "Franz Hermann" alias in May last year, when he made his first appearance at the Nürburgring. The four-time world champion joined the official NLS test and setup day ahead of the third round of the 2025 Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie, getting behind the wheel of a Ferrari 296 GT3 operated by Emil Frey Racing/Verstappen.com Racing with the pseudonym displayed on the car. That outing ultimately marked the beginning of a journey that would later come full circle with Verstappen competing in the historic Nürburgring 24 Hours, only for his race to end in heartbreak due to a technical failure while he was firmly in control. With Formula 1 set to resume at Zandvoort next week, the championship leader spent some of his remaining time away from the paddock karting in Germany. Antonelli entered the event under the pseudonym "Franz Antonelli", an apparent nod to the alias famously used by his colleague. Photo: Race Pictures Photo: Race Pictures Antonelli's rapid rise partially surprised Mercedes Mercedes has been impressed by Kimi Antonelli's performances during the 2026 season, although deputy team principalBradley Lord admitted his progress has not come as a complete surprise given the potential the team already saw in him. Answering GPblog's question, Lord highlighted the consistency and maturity Antonelli has shown in only his second Formula 1 campaign. "Are we surprised? Yes and no. We took the decision to bring Kimi into the team because we believed in his potential, but I think it's also undeniable that to see a driver in just his second season in Formula 1 performing with so much consistency and with real, calm maturity is incredibly impressive." Lord believes Antonelli learned enormously from his challenging rookie season. After a strong start and a difficult middle part of the year, the Italian understood what he needed to change and finished the campaign strongly, effectively compressing several seasons' worth of learning into one. The Mercedes deputy team principal also pointed to the new regulations as a factor in Antonelli's rapid rise, with every driver facing a steep learning curve with the new cars and power units. He added that Antonelli's confidence continues to grow from weekend to weekend while remaining firmly grounded thanks to his family and the team.