Kimi Antonelli racing number decision: champion keeps No. 12 for 2027
By Tanishq BhattEntertainment Writer, Peepals Global
File photo: Liauzh (CC BY 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
New F1 champion Kimi Antonelli will keep No. 12 in 2027 instead of No. 1, and Mercedes says an oil leak nearly stopped his title-clinching Mexico race.
What Happened
The Kimi Antonelli racing number decision is made: Formula 1's new world champion says he will keep his usual No. 12 in 2027 instead of switching to the No. 1 that the title allows him to carry. Antonelli, 20, gave the decision after the Mexico City Grand Prix on Sunday, 1 November 2026, where third place sealed the drivers' championship for the Mercedes driver. Days later, Mercedes deputy team principal Bradley Lord revealed that an oil leak in the closing stages had left Antonelli's car "right on the edge" of retirement in that same race.
Key Facts
- Antonelli finished third in Mexico City behind Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who won, and Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton, which was enough to clinch the 2026 title.
- He became Formula 1's youngest world champion and, according to Mercedes, won the title with four races still to run.
- He said he will race with No. 12 in 2027 because the number keeps him "grounded and humble" and because, as a superstitious driver, No. 1 has never been a good number for him.
- No. 12 was the number Ayrton Senna carried when he won the first of his three world titles, with McLaren in 1988; Antonelli has called Senna his idol.
- The No. 1 will not be on the grid in 2027, since outgoing champion Lando Norris, who used it this season, is expected to return to his No. 4.
- Bradley Lord said on a team podcast that the oil leak's severity only became clear after the car's floor was removed after the race; the car was covered in oil but held together.
- Antonelli's choice is a public statement of intent; reports note it is not yet the formal submission of his 2027 number to the FIA, the sport's governing body.
Why It Matters
In Formula 1, each driver picks a career number, and the reigning world champion has the right to swap it for No. 1 for the following season. Many champions have done so as a mark of status. Others have kept the number that fans associate with them. Antonelli is following the second path, the same one Lewis Hamilton took when he kept his own number as champion, while Max Verstappen and Norris both used No. 1 after their titles.
The choice is small in sporting terms but large in identity and marketing terms. A driver's number appears on the car, the helmet and team merchandise, and becomes part of how fans recognise him. By keeping No. 12, Antonelli links his own story to Senna's, a connection he has played up in recent days, including a planned helmet tribute to the Brazilian.
The oil leak story adds a reminder of how close the title decider came to going wrong. Had the leak stopped the car, Antonelli would have scored no points in Mexico and the championship would have stayed open for at least one more race. Lord's account suggests the team itself did not realise how serious the problem was until the car was taken apart.
Peepals timeline: Senna won his first world title in 1988 carrying No. 12. The No. 1 has been on the grid every season since 2022, first with Verstappen and then with Norris in 2026. On Sunday, 25 October 2026, Antonelli won the United States Grand Prix in Austin to move within reach of the title; a week later in Mexico City his third place made him champion; after that race he said No. 12 would stay; and on Wednesday, 4 November, Mercedes disclosed how near he had come to retiring from the deciding race.
| Champion | Number used as champion |
|---|---|
| Max Verstappen | No. 1 |
| Lando Norris | No. 1 (2026) |
| Lewis Hamilton | Kept his own number |
| Kimi Antonelli | Will keep No. 12 (2027) |
Impact
Short-term: Antonelli goes into the remaining races of 2026 as champion with nothing left to secure in the drivers' standings, while Mercedes checks the reliability issue that nearly hit him in Mexico.
Long-term: With No. 1 off the grid in 2027 for the first time since 2022, the number becomes a statement only when a champion chooses it. Antonelli's No. 12 is likely to become a strong part of his personal brand as he defends his title.
Who is affected: Antonelli and Mercedes; rival drivers and teams planning for 2027; and fans worldwide, including the large Formula 1 audience in India, who follow drivers' numbers on cars and merchandise.
Key Takeaway
Kimi Antonelli will defend his first Formula 1 title in 2027 carrying Senna's No. 12, not No. 1, after an oil leak almost cost him the race that made him champion.
Questions and Answers
What is Kimi Antonelli's racing number decision for 2027?
Antonelli says he will keep racing with No. 12 in 2027 instead of taking No. 1, which the world champion is allowed to use. He said the number keeps him grounded and that No. 1 has never been lucky for him.
Why is No. 12 special to Antonelli?
It was the number his idol Ayrton Senna carried in 1988, when the Brazilian won the first of his three world titles with McLaren.
Did Antonelli nearly retire from the Mexico City Grand Prix?
Yes. Mercedes deputy team principal Bradley Lord said an oil leak late in the race left the car "right on the edge" of retirement, but it held together and Antonelli finished third to clinch the title.
Will any car carry No. 1 in 2027?
Not on current plans. Antonelli is keeping No. 12 and the 2026 user of No. 1, Lando Norris, is expected to go back to his No. 4, though final numbers are confirmed with the FIA.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
By Tanishq Bhatt, Entertainment WriterCovers Entertainment and more for Peepals Global. All stories by Tanishq Bhatt
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Tanishq Bhatt is a pen name of the Peepals Global Editorial Team, which researches, fact-checks and publishes every story. The portrait is an illustration.
