Antonelli meets idol Senna's family after being crowned F1 champion
Photo: Race Pictures
Kada Sárközi joined GPblog as an editor ahead of the 2023 Formula 1 season. He graduated with a BA in Sports Journalism in the UK and has covered Grands Prix and other F1 events live.
Kimi Antonelli met the Senna family ahead of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. After becoming world champion on Sunday, the young Italian driver had another unforgettable day.
The Mercedes driver does not have much time to celebrate winning the Formula 1 world title at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez on Sunday, as the season continues this weekend with the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
Three-time world champion Ayrton Senna is one of Antonelli's idols, as the Italian has stated multiple times. He is already in Brazil ahead of the upcoming race weekend, where he has also met Senna's family.
On Instagram, he also shared a photo sitting in Senna's Lotus car with the number '12' on it. The Italian wrote: "Unforgettable day. Obrigado to the whole Senna family. It will take some time to sink in, but I will carry these memories with me forever."
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Antonelli will continue to race with '12' in 2027
Unlike Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, Antonelli will not use '1' on his car as the defending world champion next year. Instead, the Italian will keep '12', as he revealed after the Mexico City Grand Prix.
"I think I'll stay with number 12. I'll stay with number 12 because, obviously, it's a very special number for me, but also it's a way for me to stay grounded, to stay humble, and 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, it went extremely badly. So one more reason to stay with number 12. But, yeah, I will stay with number 12."
Antonelli and Mercedes still have another world title to clinch this season. If the German outfit outscores Ferrari by three points in Brazil, it will also secure the constructors' title.
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