Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli has been given the keys to his brand new Mercedes AMG GT 63 S after joining the Brackley team for the 2025 Formula 1 season. But while many would jump at the idea of taking this sports car for a spirited drive, the 18-year-old racing driver can't drive it on home soil for another three years.

Despite piloting machinery whose performance dwarfs any road-going car, Antonelli isn't legally able to drive it on Italian roads until 2028. The Bologna-born driver turned 18 last August and has only passed his test in January of this year.

This follows Italy's road rules which came into affect on 14 December, 2024. It prohibits new drivers from driving vehicles with more than 75 kW per ton during the first three years of holding their license. The Mercedes boasts 430 kW per ton, so sits just slightly above this. Previously, drivers only had to wait one year for this restriction to be lifted.

Of course, for Antonelli, this means he can sit behind the wheel and enjoy the purr of car's 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, but he can't drive it on the public road. The car will stay in the garage for the time being (or outside of Italy), despite him being a skilled precision driver who sits fifth in the drivers' standings.