Antonelli Sticks With Number 12 for His 2027 Title Defence

Kimi Antonelli has confirmed he will keep racing with number 12 when he defends his first Formula 1 world championship in 2027, passing on the champion's privilege of number 1. The Mercedes driver sealed the title at the Mexico City Grand Prix, finishing third at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez to become the youngest champion in F1 history at 20.

Why it matters:

The choice says plenty about how the Italian wants to frame his title defence. Since 2014 drivers have picked permanent numbers, with 1 reserved for the reigning champion — but it is never compulsory. Lewis Hamilton stayed with 44 through six titles; Max Verstappen and Lando Norris took 1 after theirs. Antonelli is opting for the harder, more self-critical route.

The details:

• Nine wins in his sophomore season, with podiums in all but three races.
• Number 12 is the one Ayrton Senna carried to the first of his three titles with McLaren in 1988 — a number Antonelli calls deeply personal.
• He framed the decision as a reset point: "It's a way for me to stay grounded, to stay humble... a new point where to start and build on everything again and try to improve."
• Superstition played its part too: "Number 1 has never been a good number for me. Whenever I put it, it went extremely badly."

What's next:

Mercedes head into 2027 with a reigning champion, a settled line-up and a second season of the current power unit regulations behind them. For Antonelli the question shifts from breakthrough to repeat — and the number on the car will be the one thing that hasn't changed.