F1 star crashes rare £180k Mercedes he owned for days as team issues statement

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Mercedes F1 driver Kimi Antonelli, 19, was involved in a single-car crash in San Marino at the weekend, but the teenager was unharmed and able to travel to Bahrain

Kimi Antonelli walked away without a scratch after crashing his car near his home in San Marino over the weekend, Mercedes have said. The teenage racing driver was the sole person involved in the incident, which saw his vehicle smash into a roadside guardrail, according to local police.

A statement from the Mercedes F1 team confirmed: “Last Saturday evening, near his home in San Marino, Kimi was involved in a road accident. The police attended the scene after being called by Kimi. His was the only car involved and, although the vehicle sustained damage, Kimi was completely unharmed.”

The 19-year-old is understood to have been driving an exceptionally rare Mercedes-AMG GT 63 PRO 4MATIC+, with just 200 models ever manufactured by the German motor giant.

While the full extent of the vehicle’s damage remains unclear, what matters most is that the promising Mercedes F1 driver emerged from the collision unscathed.

The incident hasn’t stopped Antonelli from travelling to Bahrain, where he’s preparing for the first official pre-season test of 2026 kicking off on Wednesday. The young racer is expected to jump straight into the action, with plans to take the W17 out for the afternoon session on day one of the three-day test, which wraps up on Friday.

But it’s particularly galling that Antonelli had barely had time to enjoy his prized motor, with Mercedes trumpeting the Italian’s acquisition of the exclusive GT 63 on social platforms just days earlier.

The stunning machine comes finished in obsidian black with striking turquoise flourishes – the iconic colour associated with Mercedes F1’s enduring tie-up with petrochemicals giant PETRONAS. There are also hand-painted decals towards the rear of the car, showing Mercedes’ iconic three-point star logo.

This is the Motorsport Collectors Edition variant, boasting upgrades including performance-oriented rubber and head-turning touches such as a chrome petrol cap, powered by a four-litre V8 powerplant churning out a hefty 612bhp when fully unleashed. Whilst official pricing for this particular model is not publicly available, industry insiders reckon it commands a price tag north of £180,000.

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Despite being deemed a wonderkid behind the wheel since he was a child, having risen through to ranks to make it to F1 last year aged just 18, Antonelli has only had his road driving licence for around a year as laws in Italy do not allow anyone under 18 to drive on the road. It was after Mercedes had confirmed he would replace seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton that Antonelli actually passed his test.

Being fast-tracked into F1 was always going to mean a baptism of fire for Antonelli in his debut season and there certainly were some tough periods, most notably during the European portion of the season when he went several races without scoring a single point. But he also showed his obvious talent on many occasions, including three podium finishes and a very impressive Sprint pole position in Miami, just the sixth round of his first year on the grid.

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