‘One of my best’ – Kimi Antonelli announces Senna tribute for Brazil

Kimi Antonelli has confirmed that he will compete with a special helmet in Brazil, with a look designed in tribute to Ayrton Senna.

Antonelli will race in altered colours after clinching his maiden world championship title last weekend.

Kimi Antonelli announces Ayrton Senna tribute

After sealing the title on Sunday in Mexico City, Antonelli will return to action this weekend in Brazil for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

The weekend often sees an array of tributes to three-time champion Senna, especially from the South American drivers.

“I will have a special helmet for Brazil, for Ayrton,” said the Italian.

“Also because it’s going to be 35 years since he won in sixth gear, his home race. So, yeah, it’s going to be a tribute helmet for Brazil, for Ayrton, and I think it’s one of my best helmets that I’ve made.

“So hopefully you guys, everyone, hopefully you will like it. But, yeah, it’s going to be a very special weekend. I’m very much looking forward to it because the support from Brazil in general has been incredible, not only this year but already from last year.

“So, yeah, looking forward to going back there, and hopefully it’s going to be a great weekend.”

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Antonelli has raced his entire F1 career with an additional tribute to Senna, with the number 12 primarily selected for this purpose.

Senna used this number with Lotus and when winning his first title with McLaren in 1988.

Having followed in his idol’s footsteps, albeit with Mercedes instead, Antonelli has no plans to switch to the number one for next year, as is his right as the champion.

This follows the decision of Lewis Hamilton, who continued with the number 44 in the years after the numbering system had been changed up in 2014.

Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, however, both decided to take the number one, with the decision purely down to personal preference.

Antonelli explained: “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.

“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.”

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