News Summary
- Andrea Kimi Antonelli intends to continue racing with No. 12 in 2027, even if he secures his first Formula 1 World Championship with Mercedes.
- The 20-year-old Italian is just two points away from the 2026 title and can become champion with a ninth-place finish or better at the Mexican Grand Prix.
- Antonelli’s number is closely associated with Ayrton Senna, while former Mercedes champion Lewis Hamilton also chose to keep his regular number rather than adopt No. 1.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli is on the verge of winning his first Formula 1 World Championship, but the Mercedes driver has already indicated that he does not intend to use the traditional champion’s No. 1 in 2027. The Italian, who currently races with No. 12, revealed that he would prefer to keep the number associated with his junior career and his childhood hero Ayrton Senna, even if he completes the championship battle at this weekend’s Mexican Grand Prix.
Antonelli enters Mexico City with 365 points, holding a 123-point advantage over Mercedes teammate George Russell and a 124-point lead over Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton. With five races and 125 points still available, the 20-year-old needs only ninth place on Sunday (November 1) to secure the title regardless of his rivals’ results. However, he insists his immediate focus remains on completing the championship before making plans for life as a World Champion.
Antonelli says he wants to keep No. 12 instead of champion’s No. 1
Speaking to Swiss newspaper Blick ahead of the Mexican Grand Prix, Antonelli acknowledged that he was already considering whether to change his racing number for next season.
The reigning Formula 1 World Champion is entitled to use No. 1, currently carried by McLaren’s Lando Norris following his title victory in 2025.
However, the Mercedes driver is reluctant to abandon the number he has used since the early stages of his single-seater career.
“First I have to finish the job in Mexico. But I think that once I’ve achieved my goal, I’ll continue racing with number 12,” Antonelli told Blick.
The statement indicates a clear preference, although it does not represent a formal, final submission of his 2027 number to the FIA.
For Antonelli, the decision is connected to personal identity rather than the prestige associated with racing as the reigning champion.
The Italian has used No. 12 since Formula 4 and carried it into Formula 1 when he joined Mercedes for the 2025 season.
He previously explained that the number had accompanied some of the most important achievements of his career and that he saw little reason to abandon it.
Why is No. 12 so important to Antonelli?
Antonelli’s preference is closely associated with Ayrton Senna, one of the drivers he admired while growing up.
The three-time World Champion used No. 12 throughout his time at Lotus between 1985 and 1987, before retaining it for his first season at McLaren in 1988.
That final year with the number was particularly significant.
Senna won his first Formula 1 World Championship in 1988, defeating teammate Alain Prost during a season in which McLaren dominated the sport.
For Antonelli, racing with the same number connects his own career to one of Formula 1’s most celebrated drivers.
But the association extends beyond Senna.
The Mercedes driver also achieved considerable success with No. 12 in junior single-seater racing, including his Formula 4 titles and Formula Regional championships.
When asked about his choice ahead of his Formula 1 debut, Antonelli explained that he considered the number lucky.
“I have been using it since F4 and it always went well, so there’s no reason to change it,” he said in 2024.
He subsequently adopted No. 12 for his first season with Mercedes in 2025.
Now, less than two years later, the Italian is preparing for the possibility of carrying that same number into a championship-defending campaign.
Can Formula 1 champions choose not to use No. 1?
Yes. Formula 1’s regulations give the reigning Drivers’ World Champion the right to use No. 1, but the change is optional.
Since permanent driver numbers were introduced in 2014, competitors have generally retained a number of personal significance throughout their Formula 1 careers.
The champion may temporarily switch to No. 1, while their regular number remains reserved for them under the applicable regulations.
That means Antonelli would not need to abandon No. 12 to become World Champion.
F1 champions and their racing numbers
| Driver | Regular number | Choice as reigning champion |
|---|---|---|
| Lewis Hamilton | 44 | Continued using No. 44 |
| Max Verstappen | 33, later 3 | Used No. 1 from 2022 to 2025 |
| Lando Norris | 4 | Chose No. 1 for 2026 |
| Andrea Kimi Antonelli | 12 | Intends to retain No. 12 if champion |
Antonelli has not yet secured the 2026 championship. His stated preference for 2027 remains conditional on winning the title.
The regulation allows drivers to maintain the personal identity associated with their permanent number.
Some champions consider No. 1 an important symbol of their achievement.
Others prefer to retain a number that has accompanied them throughout their careers.
Antonelli appears to favour the second approach.
Antonelli could follow Lewis Hamilton’s example at Mercedes
Mercedes is already familiar with a World Champion declining the opportunity to use No. 1.
Lewis Hamilton retained No. 44 throughout his championship-winning years with the team, developing a strong association between the number and his personal identity.
Hamilton used No. 44 during his karting career and continued racing with it after permanent Formula 1 numbers were introduced in 2014.
Even after winning multiple World Championships, he preferred not to switch to No. 1.
Antonelli could follow the same approach if he secures the 2026 title.
There is also a contrast with Max Verstappen and Lando Norris.
Verstappen used No. 1 throughout his four-year reign as World Champion between 2022 and 2025, before returning to a personal racing number in 2026.
Norris similarly chose the champion’s number after defeating Verstappen by two points in the 2025 championship.
The McLaren driver currently races with No. 1, but would relinquish the right to use it if another competitor becomes champion.
Antonelli needs only ninth place to become F1 champion in Mexico
The discussion about Antonelli’s 2027 racing number comes at a particularly important point in his career.
The Mercedes driver strengthened his championship lead by winning the United States Grand Prix at Austin, his ninth victory of the season.
The Italian converted pole position into victory through an effective one-stop strategy, finishing ahead of Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen.
The result increased his championship total to 365 points.
Russell remains second on 242, with Hamilton third on 241.
F1 2026 — Championship situation before Mexico
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Points | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | K. ANTONELLI | Mercedes | 365 | — |
| 2 | G. RUSSELL | Mercedes | 242 | -123 |
| 3 | L. HAMILTON | Ferrari | 241 | -124 |
The complete championship standings after Austin include all drivers and constructors.
With five races remaining, a maximum of 125 points is still available.
That figure falls to 100 after the Mexican Grand Prix.
Antonelli therefore needs just two more championship points — awarded for ninth place — to secure his first World Championship regardless of his closest rivals’ results.
Even if he fails to score, other combinations could still make him champion.
The complete Mexican Grand Prix title scenarios explain exactly what Russell and Hamilton would need to achieve to keep the championship open.
Antonelli wants to finish the job before thinking about 2027
Despite holding a commanding championship lead, Antonelli has avoided treating the title as already secured.
After his Austin victory, he emphasised that his approach would not change for Mexico.
The Italian explained that he wanted to complete the championship in style, rather than simply focus on collecting the minimum number of points required.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has also praised the maturity of his young driver during the closing stages of the campaign.
The relationship between Antonelli and Russell has become one of the defining stories of the season, with the Italian developing a substantial advantage despite both competing for the same team.
The numbers behind Antonelli’s 123-point lead over Russell illustrate how dramatically their results have differed.
The Mexican Grand Prix now presents Antonelli with the opportunity to complete the most important achievement of his career.
Should he become champion, he will have the right to use No. 1 in 2027.
But based on his comments to Blick, Mercedes is more likely to continue carrying No. 12 on Antonelli’s car, preserving a number associated with both his own rise through the sport and Senna’s first World Championship.
The Mexican Grand Prix takes place on Sunday, November 1, at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
The race begins at 2:00pm local time, equivalent to 8:00pm GMT in the United Kingdom, 3:00pm EST in New York and 1:30am IST on Monday in India.
The full Mexican Grand Prix schedule and worldwide start times provide details of practice, qualifying and the race.
GRANDE PRÊMIO is following every session of the Mexican Grand Prix this weekend, with breaking news, full coverage and real-time updates in its Formula 1 section.
FAQ
Will Andrea Kimi Antonelli use No. 1 in Formula 1 in 2027?
Antonelli says he intends to keep No. 12 even if he wins the 2026 World Championship. He has expressed a preference rather than announcing an irrevocable final choice.
Why does Antonelli race with No. 12?
The number is associated with his childhood hero Ayrton Senna, who used it from 1985 to 1988. Antonelli has also raced with No. 12 since his Formula 4 career.
Can an F1 World Champion refuse to use No. 1?
Yes. The reigning champion may use No. 1 but is not required to do so. Lewis Hamilton continued racing with No. 44 throughout his Mercedes championship years.
