Antonelli Could Earn No. 1. He Might Still Choose 12.
The champion’s number would be his to take. But Kimi Antonelli’s attachment to 12 runs from his junior titles to Ayrton Senna, and he’s already hinted that he would keep it.
Kimi Antonelli hasn’t finished the job yet, but he has given an early indication of what might follow if he becomes Formula 1 world champion: the number on his Mercedes could stay exactly where it is.
Speaking to Blick after Austin, Antonelli put completing the task in Mexico first. Asked about his number for next season, however, he suggested he would stick with 12.
“I think that once I’ve achieved it, I’ll continue racing with number 12,” he said, translated from German.
That leaves room for a final decision. It also gives a straightforward answer to anyone expecting a championship to bring an automatic switch to No. 1.
Four titles before Formula 1
Twelve was part of Antonelli’s racing identity long before his Mercedes debut.
He carried it to both the Italian and ADAC Formula 4 championships in 2022, then the Formula Regional Middle East and European titles in 2023. Four championships across two seasons gave the number a substantial history before it appeared on an F1 car.
When discussing his choice in September 2024, Antonelli explained: “I have been using it since F4 [and] it always went well.”
Keeping it would continue that connection. The number associated with his climb through the junior categories would remain with him at the highest level, even if he earned the right to replace it.
Senna’s number, too
There is another reason 12 matters to Antonelli: Ayrton Senna.
Senna raced with it at Lotus from 1985 through 1987 and carried it into his first McLaren season in 1988, when he won his first world championship. He switched to No. 1 for his title defense in 1989.
Antonelli’s choice could take a different direction. He could win a championship with the number linked to his idol’s first title and then keep it.
The connection concerns the number and its meaning. Antonelli still has his own career to build, and his comments suggest he sees 12 as something worth carrying forward.
Hamilton already made that choice
The reigning world champion can choose No. 1, but using it is optional under F1’s permanent-number system.
Lewis Hamilton provided the clearest modern example. After winning the 2014 championship, he retained 44 for the following season, explaining that it connected him to his family and the beginning of his racing career.
Antonelli would therefore be following an established path by keeping his personal number. What makes his case interesting is how early that attachment formed: 12 already accompanied four junior titles before his first Formula 1 start.
For now, his priority is Mexico. If he completes the job, the championship would give him a choice. His first public answer suggests that 12 may already mean enough.
