Kimi Antonelli, the newly crowned 2026 Formula 1 World Champion, has confirmed he will retain his current racing number 12 for the upcoming 2027 season. This decision comes despite the privilege of adopting the number 1, traditionally reserved for the reigning champion.
Antonelli secured his maiden title at the Mexico City Grand Prix, finishing third in the race. The 20-year-old Mercedes driver became the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history, surpassing Sebastian Vettel’s previous record.
His championship marks the first time an Italian driver has claimed the Formula 1 crown since Alberto Ascari in 1953. Antonelli’s triumph also represents Mercedes’ first Drivers’ Championship since 2020.
The choice to keep number 12 holds personal significance for Antonelli. He stated it helps him remain grounded and humble. Furthermore, he cited a personal superstition, noting that the number one has historically brought him misfortune.
I’ll stay with number 12 because, obviously, it’s a very special number for me. But also it’s a way for me to stay grounded, to stay humble, and I feel like by keeping number 12 it allows me to have a new point where to start and build on everything again and try to improve. And also, to be honest, I’m very superstitious, and number 1 has never been a good number for me. Whenever I put it, it went extremely badly.
Antonelli is the first driver to win the title with number 12 since Ayrton Senna in 1988. Senna achieved his first world championship that year driving the McLaren MP4/4.
The option to use number 1 has been available to champions since 2014, though it is not compulsory. Previous champions like Lewis Hamilton maintained their personal number 44. Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, however, opted for number 1 in their championship-winning seasons.
Antonelli’s 2026 season was his second in Formula 1, having debuted with Mercedes in 2025 as Lewis Hamilton’s replacement. His rookie year included three podium finishes and 150 points. He acknowledged that criticism regarding his readiness for F1 in 2025 provided additional motivation.
The 2026 season saw Antonelli secure nine race victories and 16 podiums. He led the Drivers’ Championship for a significant portion of the year. Mercedes also clinched the Constructors’ Championship with 630 points and twelve race wins.
Teammate George Russell finished second in the 2026 Drivers’ Championship with 250 points. Russell secured three victories and eight podiums during the season. He started the year strongly, winning the Australian Grand Prix.
Russell experienced an unexpected power unit deployment issue at the Mexico City Grand Prix. He also received a 10-second penalty for a collision, ultimately finishing sixth. Russell did not participate in post-race media interviews following the event.
Looking ahead to 2027, Antonelli anticipates a challenging season. He expects strong competition from Red Bull, particularly Max Verstappen, as well as Ferrari and McLaren.
