Antonelli keeps No.12 for 2027 title defence as Wolff reveals two sponsors quit over his Mercedes promotion

Kimi Antonelli will not carry the No.1 on his Mercedes next season. The newly crowned 2026 Formula 1 world champion confirmed after the Mexico City Grand Prix that he will keep the No.12 he has raced with throughout his single-seater career, while team principal Toto Wolff revealed that the decision to promote Antonelli in the first place cost Mercedes two sponsors.

Why Antonelli is sticking with 12

Speaking at the FIA world champions' press conference in Mexico, Antonelli said the number carries personal meaning and that keeping it would help him start next season with the same hunger to improve. He was also candid about another factor: superstition. "Number one has never been a good number for me," he said.

He had already signalled the choice before clinching the title. In an interview with Swiss newspaper Blick ahead of the Mexico weekend, he said he would keep racing with 12 once he had achieved his goal. He sealed the championship by finishing third in Mexico City.

The number has deep roots. Antonelli has said he picked 12 because of Ayrton Senna, who raced with it at Lotus from 1985 to 1987 and in his first season at McLaren in 1988, when he won his first world title. Antonelli used 12 from his first season in single-seaters, carrying it through Formula 4 and Formula Regional title-winning campaigns before his F1 debut in 2025.

A break from recent champions

Under current rules, the reigning champion may use No.1 instead of his permanent number. Max Verstappen ran it for four seasons after his first title, and Lando Norris took it over for 2026 after winning the 2025 crown. Lewis Hamilton, by contrast, kept his No.44 after each of his championships with Mercedes. Antonelli now joins Hamilton in that camp.

Wolff: two sponsors walked away

Wolff, meanwhile, has given an insight into how big a gamble Mercedes took. Speaking to Sky Sports, he said two sponsors left the team because it chose Antonelli, then 18, to replace Hamilton rather than placing him at a smaller team first. Brazilian outlet Grande Prêmio reported that the sponsors questioned whether the young Italian was ready for F1. Wolff did not name the companies or say what the deals were worth.

According to Grandprix.com, Wolff said he settled on Antonelli as soon as Hamilton confirmed his move to Ferrari, based on junior results and Mercedes' own data. Antonelli's 2025 rookie year included a long run without points that drew criticism, but Mercedes stuck with a plan that it believed needed a second season to pay off. Wolff said the partners who stayed are now sharing in the success.

First race as champion at Senna's home circuit

Antonelli's first outing as world champion comes at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos this weekend, the home circuit of the driver whose number he carries. The race starts at 2pm local time on Sunday 8 November, which is 1am on Monday 9 November in Malaysia.

Key takeaways

• Kimi Antonelli will keep car No.12 rather than switching to No.1 as 2026 champion.
• He cited personal meaning and superstition, and the number is a tribute to Ayrton Senna.
• Toto Wolff told Sky Sports that two sponsors left Mercedes over the decision to promote Antonelli.
• Wolff did not name the sponsors or the value of the lost deals.
• Antonelli's first race as champion is at Interlagos, 1am Monday MYT.

FAQ

Will Kimi Antonelli use the No.1 in 2027? No. He has said he will continue to race with No.12, the number he has used since his first season in single-seaters.

Why does Antonelli race with number 12? He chose it in tribute to Ayrton Senna, who used No.12 at Lotus from 1985 to 1987 and at McLaren in 1988, the year of his first world title.

Which sponsors left Mercedes over Antonelli? Toto Wolff did not name them. He said only that two sponsors left because Mercedes chose Antonelli to replace Lewis Hamilton.

Sources: Grandprix.com, GPblog, PlanetF1, Grande Prêmio, GrandPrix247