Antonelli rejects #1, sticks with #12 for 2027 title defence

Kimi Antonelli will keep the #12 for his 2027 title defence, turning down the champion’s option to run #1. F1’s newest world champion, who clinched the crown at the Mexican Grand Prix aged 20, says the number keeps him grounded and gives him a fresh baseline to build from.

Why it matters:

It is a telling call from a driver entering his first season as the hunted champion. Running #1 would have been a clear statement of authority; keeping #12 frames 2027 as another step in his development rather than a victory lap.

The details:

• Antonelli has used #12 throughout his single-seater career, apart from a 2024 F2 campaign with #4. He won Italian F4 in 2022 and FRECA in 2023 with it.
• The number honours Ayrton Senna, who ran #12 at Lotus and in his 1988 title-winning McLaren season.
• He is superstitious about #1, saying it has “never been a good number” for him, likely referencing his 2020 World Karting Championship crash at Portimao while running #1.
• He could have followed 2025 champion Lando Norris, who has run #1 this season.

What's next:

Antonelli heads to Interlagos with a Senna tribute helmet, marking 35 years since Senna won his home Brazilian GP stuck in sixth gear. With Brazilian support already strong, the weekend should be a fitting stage for the #12 identity he is keeping.