Kimi Antonelli has confirmed that he will continue to use his current race number and will not switch to number ‘1’ for the 2027 F1 season, even if he wins the 2026 championship. He is on the verge of a potential championship triumph and could seal the title this weekend in Mexico.
His strong position has raised questions about whether he will switch to the traditional No.1 or stick with his current No. 12. The Mercedes driver has made his plan clear ahead of the Mexican GP.
“First, I have to get the job done in Mexico,” Antonelli told Blick. “But I think that once that’s done, I’ll still be racing with number 12.”
Kimi Antonelli is heading to Mexico with a strong chance of becoming the youngest F1 world champion at the age of 20. He needs to score two points this weekend, without depending on the result of his rivals, to clinch the title. He leads the championship standings by 123 points over teammate George Russell.
Why Would Kimi Antonelli Choose to Retain His No.12?
There are several reasons why Antonelli wants to retain his No.12. First, his racing number is a personal tribute to his childhood idol, Ayrton Senna, who raced with that number during his time at Lotus and McLaren (including his first title in 1988).
Another reason would be that the Italian used the No. 12 when he made his Formula 4 debut in 2021. He used it en route to winning the Italian and ADAC F4 titles in 2022, as well as the Middle East and European Formula Regional crown.
F1 regulations allow the reigning world champion to use the No. 1, but it is up to the driver to make that switch.
Lando Norris, who secured his maiden championship last year, is using the No.1. The McLaren driver took over the rights to the number from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who was the champion from 2021 to 2024.
Lewis Hamilton was the only driver who refused to use the No.1 as the champion since the introduction of the rule in 2014. Hamilton opted to keep the No. 44 throughout his championship-winning years with Mercedes.
Kimi Antonelli Secured Dominant Victory at COTA
The Mercedes driver won the 2026 United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas last weekend in dominant fashion. It marked his ninth victory of the season.
Starting from pole position, Kimi Antonelli executed a successful one-stop strategy, going from the Medium tires to Hards on lap 25. The Italian was the only driver in the top three to pit once. Both Leclerc and Verstappen were on a two-stop strategy, with the Ferrari driver using all three tire compounds in the Pirelli range.
Antonelli crossed the finish line 13.078 seconds ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. He is more than likely to win the championship this weekend. However, it will be interesting to see how these new-generation cars perform at high altitudes compared to previous years.
The Mexican Grand Prix will take place at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez circuit from October 31 to November 2.
More F1 Reading
- Max Verstappen Gives Up Red Bull Seat in Mexico Practice as Ayumu Iwasa Steps In
- Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman Says F1 Engineering Beats NASA: ‘They Smoke Us’
- Mercedes Set to Shell Out $11 Million as Kimi Antonelli Prepares to Bag F1 Championship at Mexico GP
- “He Wants Her Back”: Fans Speculate After Lando Norris’ Instagram Slip-Up on Ex-Girlfriend’s Birthday
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Max Verstappen Gives Up Red Bull Seat in Mexico Practice as Ayumu Iwasa Steps In
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Mercedes Set to Shell Out $11 Million as Kimi Antonelli Prepares to Bag F1 Championship at Mexico GP
“He Wants Her Back”: Fans Speculate After Lando Norris’ Instagram Slip-Up on Ex-Girlfriend’s Birthday
