Andrea Kimi Antonelli Keeps Number 12 for the 2026 Season
Andrea Kimi Antonelli secured the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship at the Mexican Grand Prix, becoming the youngest driver to claim the title at 20 years old. Despite earning the right to display the champion’s number “1” for the 2027 season, the Mercedes driver intends to keep his traditional number “12”. The reigning champion chose to retain the number because of its personal significance and as a deliberate grounding mechanism. Antonelli drove with number 12 during his single-seater debut in F4. The number carries historical weight, mirroring the selection Ayrton Senna used when winning his first F1 title in 1988 with McLaren-Honda, making Antonelli the first driver to capture a crown carrying that specific number since Senna.
Superstition and Grounding Behind the Number 12 Choice
Beyond honoring his childhood idol, Antonelli pointed to past misfortune with the champion’s designation. He explained that using the number one has never brought him positive results in competitive categories, leaving him with consistently poor outcomes whenever it was assigned to him. Managing the premature congratulations from guests and fans ahead of the official title confirmation proved challenging for the superstitious driver. Retaining number 12 serves as a mental reset, helping him approach the upcoming campaign as a fresh starting point rather than resting on his recent success.
George Russell Congratulates Antonelli Despite Difficult Campaign
Mercedes teammate George Russell offered immediate congratulations to the new title holder in the pit lane amid falling confetti, greeting Antonelli, his father, mother, and sister with handshakes and embraces, according to THE DIGEST via Yahoo! News. Russell maintained this sportsmanship despite enduring a difficult campaign featuring three retirements due to mechanical failures and performance deficits that limited him to eight podium finishes compared to Antonelli’s nine victories.
The dramatic Mexican Grand Prix final classification also saw several post-race penalties reshape the points-paying positions. Stewards penalized Alpine drivers Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasri for yellow-flag infringements, while Oscar Piastri received a sanction for causing a collision. These penalties promoted Haas driver Ryo Hirakawa to 10th place, securing a point on his F1 debut.
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