In brief
F1 driver Kimi Antonelli recently surprised local racing fans by participating incognito at Daytona Milton Keynes, racing under the name 'Henry Shovlin.' Despite achieving the fastest lap of the day, Antonelli faced penalties that prevented him from finishing on the podium. His stealthy appearance led to a frenzy of fan recognition once he removed his helmet, culminating in a brief photo opportunity. Antonelli’s participation adds to the track's reputation as a favored spot for F1 drivers.
F1 driver Kimi Antonelli has surprised local go-karters by going incognito at a packed racing session.
Antonelli attended Daytona Milton Keynes on Saturday and registered under the name Henry Shovlin. The 19-year-old Italian, who drives professionally for Mercedes, set the fastest lap of the session in the main race but did not win.
Daniel Prince, from Daytona, said Antonelli failed to make the podium because he got two penalties for pushing too hard but was happy to pose for a photo until he was mobbed by fans.
Mr Prince said Antonelli did the usual briefing and then raced with everyone else but no-one had a clue who he was. He actually got two penalties for pushing too hard so didn't finish on the podium at the end of it, he told Roberto Perrone on BBC Three Counties Radio. But he did get the fastest lap of the race by at least three seconds. Mr Prince said the star was not recognised because he was wearing a helmet, but when he went back inside and removed it everyone realised who they'd been racing against.
Everyone really mobbed him so 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. F1 drivers including Alexander Albon, Isack Hadjar and Yuki Tsunoda have visited the track due to its proximity to Silverstone.
