If Kimi Antonelli wins the world championship, he plans to skip the usual F1 tradition that Max Verstappen follows.
Kimi Antonelli has shared that he doesn’t plan to follow a long-standing Formula One tradition that both Max Verstappen and Lando Norris followed after winning the championship.
It’s only a matter of time before Mercedes’ young star Antonelli is named the 2026 Drivers’ World Champion, after an unexpected season of amazing performances. The Mercedes driver just needs to finish ninth or better at the Mexico City Grand Prix to clinch the title. But when he does, he doesn’t plan to take part in the usual tradition that Norris and Verstappen did.
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Before the Mexico race, Antonelli has already won nine races this season, stood on the podium 15 times, and even won a sprint, collecting a total of 365 points. There’s no doubt he’s been the best driver this year and will be a deserving champion, whether he seals it in Mexico or at one of the remaining four races.
When he wins, Antonelli will have the honor of using the number ‘1’ next season, a special number reserved for the reigning champion. However, even though he’s on track to become the youngest champion ever, he says he doesn’t want to change his number.
“First, I have to get the job done in Mexico. But after that, I think I’ll still race with number 12,” Antonelli told German outlet Blick.
Right now, it’s Norris who is racing with number 1 this year, after winning his first title last year in Abu Dhabi. He took the number from Verstappen, who used it for four seasons from 2022 to 2025.
If Antonelli decides not to switch to number 1, he’ll be only the second champion to do so since the rule started in 2014, following Lewis Hamilton, who kept his usual number 44 throughout his championship years with Mercedes.
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There are a few personal reasons why Antonelli loves number 12, which he’s had throughout his F1 career. He first raced with 12 when he made his Formula 4 debut in September 2021. Also, he was 12 years old when he joined Mercedes’ junior program eight years ago. Lastly, he picked 12 to honor his idol Ayrton Senna, who raced with that number between 1985 and 1988 and won his first world title with it at McLaren.
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