Newly-crowned Formula 1 world champion Kimi Antonelli has confirmed he will not race with the No. 1 on his car next season, choosing instead to keep his preferred No. 12. The Italian made history on Sunday by becoming the youngest F1 world champion at just 20 years old, beating Sebastian Vettel's record by more than three years, after a third-place finish at the Mexico City Grand Prix.
As reigning champion, Antonelli is entitled to swap his usual race number for the No. 1, but the Mercedes driver has no intention of doing so. He will retain the No. 12, the number famously associated with his idol, Ayrton Senna.
Staying Grounded with No. 12
Antonelli explained that keeping his familiar number would help him remain grounded and give him a fresh starting point as he looks to build on his success. "I think I'll stay with No. 12," he said. "I'll stay with No. 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 No. 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 No. 1 has never been a good number for me. Whenever I put it, it went extremely badly. So one more reason to stay with No. 12."
Following Hamilton's Example
Antonelli is following the example set by Lewis Hamilton, who opted to retain his iconic No. 44 rather than switch to No. 1 after five of his six world championship victories. This means Antonelli will become the third consecutive Mercedes world champion not to race with the coveted number, following Hamilton's decision and Nico Rosberg's retirement immediately after his 2016 triumph.
Race numbers were introduced in 1974, with the reigning world champion traditionally given the option of swapping their usual number for No. 1. The majority have taken up the opportunity, including Lando Norris this season and Max Verstappen during his four-year reign before him.
However, Antonelli is set to become one of only six drivers to turn down the privilege when he returns to defend his crown next season. The list also includes Jackie Stewart and Alain Prost, both of whom retired after winning the title, as well as Nigel Mansell, who moved to CART (now IndyCar) following his championship success.
A Tribute to Senna
Just as Antonelli is paying tribute to F1 icon Senna by retaining the No. 12, Hamilton also has a personal connection to his chosen race number. The No. 44 featured on his father's car registration plate when he first began karting, inspiring the Brit to adopt it throughout his career.
Hamilton has also described the No. 1 as "irrelevant", explaining that he prefers to approach each season as a title challenger rather than someone defending the crown. He did briefly run with the No. 1 in 2009 after claiming his maiden world championship with McLaren, but has stuck with No. 44 ever since. "It [No. 1] didn't look very good on the car. No. 44 looks better," he said.
Speaking in 2019, Hamilton explained his feelings towards racing under the No.1. He said: "Naturally I think I am a target, but my race number when I was eight years old was 44. Even though I am number one, and I have been for the last couple of years and I should have number one on my car, I keep 44 on there.
"So every year I feel like I'm starting a clean slate and no one's champion, but I want to be the champion."
Antonelli, who replaced Hamilton at Mercedes after the seven-time world champion's move to Ferrari in 2025, has enjoyed a sensational campaign. The Italian won five of the opening six races and has finished outside the podium places on just three occasions all season.
Although both Max Verstappen and Hamilton finished ahead of him in Mexico, his third-place finish left him an extraordinary 119 points clear at the top of the standings with four races remaining.
