F1 Star Handed Two Penalties After Going 'Undercover' At Karting Event

A current Formula 1 driver made a shock appearance at a karting event in Milton Keynes over the weekend - and naturally received a penalty for driving too fast.

Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli, 19, stopped off at the Daytona circuit in Milton Keynes on Saturday to take part in a karting event.

The Italian, who has just completed his rookie F1 season, managed to go completely unrecognised before his race got underway, according to BBC News.

The track is around a 35-minute drive away from Mercedes' headquarters in Brackley, where Antonelli had attended a full team briefing along with team-mate George Russell and team principal Toto Wolff.

Hilariously, once the kart race, an SODI D40 race, got underway, Antonelli managed to pick up two separate penalties - for 'pushing too hard'.

The Italian's fastest lap was three seconds quicker than any of his competitors, though the penalties meant he didn't pick up the winners' trophy.

While his rivals might have had an idea that they were up against one of the best drivers on the planet, it wasn't until after the race that Antonelli's true identity was revealed.

"Everyone really mobbed him," Daytona employee Daniel Prince told BBC Three Counties Radio.

"A member of staff quickly rescued him and put him behind the desk for a cheeky photo by our celebrity leaderboard, and then he ran away and left."

Antonelli entered the race under the pseudonym 'Henry Shovlin' - similar to how Max Verstappen used the name 'Franz Hermann' at a GT3 test event earlier this year.

Andrew Shovlin is Mercedes' trackside engineering director and has worked closely with Antonelli during the 2025 season.

The Daytona circuit has been much-visited by professional racing drivers over the years, with the celebrity leaderboard essentially a who's who of stars from various series.

Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button, Max Verstappen, George Russell, Dario Franchitti, Brendon Hartley and Sergio Perez are among the drivers who have set a lap time, while former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is even on the list.

In terms of non-racing stars, former England cricket captain Sir Alastair Cook, 'Game of Thrones' star Kit Harrington and Hollywood acting legend Tom Cruise all feature.

Unfortunately, given the wet conditions, Antonelli's fastest lap of a 1:24.5 was some way short of the quickest-ever times - though he was six seconds quicker than Alex Albon, who also didn't have the best of luck with the weather.