Mexico City GP media day: Kimi Antonelli confirms car 12 for 2027 on brink of world title

Antonelli honors heritage on the verge of history

The eyes of the motorsport universe converged on the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on Thursday, 29 October, as Kimi Antonelli took his seat in the FIA press conference ahead of the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix. With 365 points and a colossal 123-point advantage over Mercedes teammate George Russell, the 20-year-old Italian stands on the absolute threshold of history. A finish of ninth or better in Sunday’s 71-lap race will make him the youngest Drivers’ World Champion in Formula 1 history, eclipsing the record Sebastian Vettel set in 2010.

When asked whether he would exercise the champion’s traditional right to carry the number 1 on his car in 2027, Antonelli provided an emphatic answer that delighted purists. The Bologna native confirmed he will keep his permanent car number 12, echoing Ayrton Senna’s legendary seasons with Lotus and Lewis Hamilton’s enduring preference for number 44. “Number 12 is who I am,” Antonelli explained. “It represents my journey from karting to Formula 1, and I want to carry it forward into the future.”

The high-altitude challenge of Hermanos Rodriguez

Beyond the championship coronation, teams spent Thursday grappling with the unique technical demands of racing at 2,285 meters above sea level. With atmospheric density roughly 22 percent lower than at sea level, the Mexican circuit creates an engineering paradox: cars run maximum Monaco-style aerodynamic packages yet experience low-drag Monza speeds on the 1.2-kilometer main straight.

Cooling is the primary battleground. Turbochargers must spin significantly faster to compress the thin air, while brake discs and internal combustion units operate at the edge of thermal failure. Mercedes trackside engineers expressed confidence in their cooling bodywork updates, while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc warned that tire graining on the low-grip surface could offer unexpected opportunities. As the Foro Sol stadium prepares to welcome 140,000 passionate spectators, Formula 1 braces for a momentous weekend.