Kimi Antonelli is not going to swap to the No 1 for the 2027 Components 1 season, selecting to maintain the No 12 he carried to the 2026 world championship.
Antonelli grew to become world champion in Mexico Metropolis after ending third, with scenes of utter jubilation breaking out in Parc Ferme and later within the paddock.
Successful the world title comes with sure privileges, together with the choice to adorn the primary on their automotive for the next season.
Antonelli is the primary to win the title in No 12 since Ayrton Senna in 1988, after the race, when requested whether or not he would take the champion’s quantity for subsequent yr, Antonelli stated he would stick with 12.
His reasoning lay in retaining himself grounded and out of superstition.
“I’ll stick with quantity 12 as a result of clearly it’s a really particular quantity to me, but additionally that may be a approach for me to remain grounded and keep humble,” he stated.
“I really feel like by retaining quantity 12 it permits me to, yeah, simply permits me to have a brand new level the place to start out and construct on every part I get and attempting to enhance.
“And likewise, to be sincere, I’m very superstitious that primary has by no means been a superb quantity for me. Each time I do that, it went extraordinarily badly, so another reason to stick with quantity 12. However yeah, I’ll stick with quantity 12.”
Kimi Antonelli cautious of teammate problem in 2027
Requested by Motorsport Week how far his season had been pushed by those that doubted he was prepared for F1 final yr, Antonelli admitted the criticism had added “gas to the fireplace”.
“It’s at all times good to close off a number of the noise, and naturally I feel in some ways it does assist so as to add gas to the fireplace, [that] some individuals stated that I wasn’t prepared for it, which sooner or later final yr I in all probability seemed like that I wasn’t prepared for it,” he stated.
“However I feel final yr, having the ability to expertise these moments made me way more prepared as nicely. Experiencing actually low and tough conditions, high-pressure moments actually helped me to face sure conditions this yr, and that made me mature loads as a driver, as an individual.
“And nonetheless this yr, dangerous moments the place I may have completed higher, loads higher, so yeah, it’s only a fixed studying course of. However I feel final yr, having the ability to race straight into Mercedes, clearly straight underneath the highlight, made me develop a lot sooner than if I might have gone to a [smaller team], I feel, for instance.”
Antonelli additionally expects teammate George Russell to return again stronger subsequent yr after a tough season, and acknowledged Russell had suffered extra dangerous luck than him.
“Undoubtedly, I feel he has had additionally dangerous luck sooner or later within the season. I feel he’s had a bit bit greater than me, I’ll be sincere,” he stated. “I’ve additionally had my moments, in Silverstone, Barcelona. Additionally after Silverstone, we needed to trash our PU as a result of it had an issue in it and we needed to take an earlier penalty, which was in Monza. So positively, we’ve had our dangerous moments.
“However nonetheless, I feel he will certainly come again. He’s tremendous fast, he has proven this season that when he’s on, he’s very arduous to beat. So it’s nearly, on my facet, maintain specializing in myself, maintain attempting to lift the bar, maintain enhancing, maintain growing.
“As a result of I feel it’s not going to be solely a matter of George on the finish of the season, however I feel additionally for subsequent season, Crimson Bull, particularly with Max, Ferrari and [McLaren] finally, we’re all going to be on the market, and it’s going to be a good combat. So it’s going to be necessary to be on high of the sport, not solely in opposition to my teammate however in opposition to additionally all of the others.”