MEXICO CITY : Kimi Antonelli will retain the number 12 on his Mercedes car next season rather than adopt the traditional number one reserved for the Formula One world champion, with the 20-year-old Italian citing superstition and a desire to start afresh after claiming the title on Sunday.
Antonelli secured the championship in Mexico City and said keeping his familiar number would help him build on his success without feeling weighed down by his new status.
“I feel like by keeping number 12 it allows me to have a new point where to start and build on everything again and try to improve,” Antonelli said.
“And also, to be honest, I’m very superstitious, and number one has never been a good number for me. Whenever I put it (on), it went extremely badly. So one more reason to stay with number 12.”
Antonelli became the first Formula One champion to win the title with the number 12 since Brazilian great Ayrton Senna claimed his first championship with McLaren in 1988.
Senna, a three-times world champion, died while racing for Williams at Italy’s Imola circuit in 1994. He remains an idol for Antonelli, who comes from Bologna, near the circuit.
Antonelli said he would wear a special tribute helmet at next weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix in Sao Paulo.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff praised the new champion’s humility, saying his approach offered a positive example for younger drivers.
“This notion of win at all costs — selfish, opportunistic, ruthlessness for your own benefit — that model of racing driver has died,” Wolff said.
“We have a new champion that represents values like humility, like integrity, loyalty, respect, believing in himself.”
Wolff urged young drivers in the junior categories and Formula One to learn from Antonelli’s attitude, contrasting it with what he described as entitlement and excessive complaining among some competitors.
“Look at this kid of 20 years and then think what you can do in order to improve,” he said.
Wolff added that Antonelli represented the kind of competitor Mercedes, the governing FIA and Formula One wanted to see in the future.
“He represents the modern Formula One driver because of those values, not only because of his talent,” Wolff said. “He has demonstrated that you can beat everyone out there by being a good person.”
