Antonelli Number 12 in 2027: Champion Skips the No. 1

Kimi Antonelli plans to keep racing with the Antonelli number 12 in 2027 instead of switching to the champion's number 1, according to interviews he gave before clinching the title in Mexico City on 1 November 2026. The rules allow either: since permanent numbers arrived in 2014, the reigning world champion may take number 1 if he wants it. By every report we can find, Antonelli does not. One caveat up front: those comments were made before the title was settled, and we have not seen a fresh confirmation since.

Why Antonelli's number 12 is staying

The reason is Ayrton Senna. According to Lance! and GPblog, Antonelli wants to keep the number as a tribute to the Brazilian, who raced with 12 at Lotus from 1985 to 1988. GPblog adds that Antonelli used 12 throughout his junior career and carried it into his Formula 1 debut in 2025, so the number is stitched into his whole rise.

PlanetF1 reported on 29 October 2026 that he intends to keep it if he wins the title, and that he wanted to "do my job in Mexico first". Lance! dates the original remark to around 25 October, after his United States Grand Prix win in Austin. Three outlets, one consistent story, and the story comes from the driver himself. That is why we are comfortable calling it a plan rather than a rumour.

What do the rules say about the champion's number 1?

Short version: it is an option, not an obligation. The reigning champion can choose number 1 for the following season, or stay with the number he already has. Lewis Hamilton, GPblog notes, has stuck with 44 since 2014, even in seasons when he could have switched. Antonelli would be making the same call: his own number already says who he is.

There is a small irony here. Number 1 is the only trophy that comes with a sticker, and the youngest champion in the sport's history is looking at the sticker and saying no thanks. It is also a very Antonelli way to win a title: record in hand, no fuss, the same number on the nose.

What we do not know yet

Three things remain open. First, whether Mercedes or Antonelli will formally announce the choice, and when. Second, whether the official 2027 entry list shows 12 or 1 against his name once it is published. Third, whether a title-night mood changes a pre-title answer. Drivers are allowed to change their minds.

Our reading: the likelihood he sticks with 12 is high, because the reason he gave has nothing to do with results and everything to do with Senna. That is our judgement, not a confirmed fact.

What it means for the grid in 2027

If Antonelli keeps 12, the champion's number 1 would go unused on the 2027 grid. Fans who like seeing the champion's number on the car will have to settle for his name at the top of the standings instead, where he leads Max Verstappen by 380 points to 261 per RaceFans after 19 of 23 rounds.

For the story of how the title came together, read our piece on Antonelli against Vettel's youngest-champion record and the live numbers in telemetry. The next race is the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos on 8 November 2026, Senna's home track, a fitting place to see number 12 as champion. Make your call for it in our Brazil predictions.