Kimi Antonelli will stick with number 12 to defend his Formula 1 title in 2027, passing on the traditional number 1 reserved for the reigning champion. The 20-year-old Mercedes driver, who clinched the championship in Mexico City after a nine-win sophomore campaign, cited both sentiment and superstition in the decision.
The number carries double meaning for Antonelli — it's what Ayrton Senna ran when he won his first title with McLaren in 1988, and the Italian says keeping it helps him "stay grounded, stay humble." But there's a harder edge to it: "Number 1 has never been a good number for me. Whenever I put it, it went extremely badly."
The choice breaks with recent precedent. Max Verstappen and Lando Norris both switched to number 1 after their championships, though Lewis Hamilton famously kept 44 through all six Mercedes titles. Antonelli joins Hamilton in that club now — superstition meets brand.
Read the full story at formula1.com
