Andrea Kimi Antonelli would be eligible to race with the number ‘1’ on his Mercedes next year when he wraps up the 2026 Formula 1 title.
The 20-year-old stands on the cusp of a historic title triumph after securing his ninth win of the season at the Circuit of the Americas on Sunday.
This means that Antonelli has all but wrapped up his maiden F1 drivers’ title as the sport heads into the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend.
And as tradition, the Italian racing driver will be eligible to run the number ‘1’ on his car in 2027 – an option reserved for the defending World Champion in F1.
After winning his maiden World Championship with McLaren last season, Norris currently holds the No. 1 on his MCL40.
But given the Briton’s struggles in the latest era of the sport, and Antonelli’s stellar rise to the very top with the W17, the McLaren driver will have to relinquish that privilege at the end of this season.
Antonelli, however, has revealed that he will opt to retain his No. 12 – famously associated with the Mercedes driver’s idol and three-time F1 Champion Ayrton Senna.
“First, I have to get the job done in Mexico,” he told Blick. “But I think that once that’s done, I’ll still be racing with number 12.”
In the modern era of the sport, Antonelli would be the only driver after Lewis Hamilton to make that call, with the seven-time World Champion racing with his iconic No. 44 throughout the championship years.
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