With Formula 1 back in Brazil, there is a battle on to continue the legacy of the nation’s greatest idol, Ayrton Senna.
Senna, the three-time champion who is considered by many to be the greatest of all time, is still making an impact on young drivers born 12 years after his untimely death in 1996.
The Senna McLaren, particularly with the no.12, is still legendary today
The Senna McLaren, particularly with the no.12, is still legendary todayCredit: Getty
Coincidentally, the number 12 is exactly what’s at stake, as it was embossed on Senna’s cars for the majority of his F1 career.
Gazzetta dello Sport report that Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Jack Doohan and Franco Colapinto have all attempted to lay claim to the number for the 2025 season.
The number 12 was last used by Senna’s countryman Felipe Nasr during his F1 career from 2014 to 2016, and rules stipulate that drivers’ numbers remain blocked-off for two years after they vacate it.
Available from the 2019 season onwards, it looks like Lewis Hamilton’s replacement Antonelli will pick it up for his career as Mercedes have made an FIA request to have it as the third number registered to their team after George Russell’s 63 and the departing Hamilton’s 44.
Antonelli donned the number in practice at the Mexico Grand Prix, and had earlier commented: “It’s the number of an idol of mine.”
However, he may well have been unaware of the fact that fellow 2025 rookie Doohan had rather awkwardly already assumed he was getting the number before Mercedes sneaked it and made an official request.
The Australian, who will be with Alpine next year, said upon his signing: “I thought about it during the summer break and then we decided, so 12 will be the number I’ll start my Formula 1 season with.”
If that doesn’t make things awkward enough for Antonelli, current Williams driver Colapinto had also assumed he would take the two digits should he find himself on the 2025 grid, but not as a Senna tribute.
Instead, the Argentinian wanted it as a reference to Boca Juniors fans who are known as ‘La 12’, but he’s since softened his stance.
“43 is also a number that I am very attached to, I have used it often in my career,” he said.
Antonelli has donned no.12 in testing and appears to have beaten his rookie rivals to its permanent use
Antonelli has donned no.12 in testing and appears to have beaten his rookie rivals to its permanent useCredit: Getty
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Colapinto can also not lodge an FIA request as he doesn’t currently have a seat for 2025.
But even so, both he and Doohan appear to have made their move too late.
F1 have allowed drivers to choose their own numbers since 2014, with constructors’ championship order previously assigning numbers in ascending order.
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The Brazil Grand Prix gets underway this weekend.
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