The parallels between Antonelli’s journey and Senna’s grow as the new champion prepares to arrive at Interlagos.
The final lap had become more than a lap. Kimi Antonelli was crying in the car and could barely see the track. Still, he kept going. At 20, he had just become the youngest champion in Formula 1 history, clinching the title at the Mexico City Grand Prix.
A beginning that recalls Senna
The comparison with Ayrton Senna comes from a series of coincidences. Senna claimed his first Formula 1 victory after taking his first pole position, in his second season. Antonelli also turned his first pole into his first win, in his second season.
Their careers are not the same. But some moments seem to rhyme. In 1985, Senna won the rain-hit Portuguese Grand Prix from pole. Antonelli, too, converted his first pole into his first victory. The Italian put together a standout season with Mercedes: he won nine races, including the Italian Grand Prix, and secured the title at 20.
The number 12 and a tribute
The number on Antonelli’s car carries a story of its own. He chose 12 as a tribute to Senna, one of his greatest idols. The Brazilian raced with that number from 1985 to 1988 and won his first world title with it at McLaren, in 1988.
The tribute also reached beyond the track. In November 2025, Antonelli visited Senna’s grave at Morumbi Cemetery in São Paulo. After the São Paulo Grand Prix, he gave Senna’s family the helmet he had worn in the race; it became part of the family’s collection. A personal gesture connected the Italian driver to the memory of a Brazilian champion.
From a troubled start to the finish
At Suzuka, Senna’s start was marked by a problem: his engine stalled, and he lost positions. Even so, he finished that race as world champion. Decades later, Antonelli faced a different kind of challenge at Monza. He started nineteenth and crossed the line in first place.
The two episodes do not tell the same story. They do show how a result can emerge after a start that threatens the goal. For Antonelli, the home win was one of nine victories in a season that ended with the world title.
In the end, Antonelli himself drew a line under the comparison. He asked people not to compare him with Senna and said he was still far from the Brazilian’s level. The remark gives the tribute its measure: acknowledging an idol’s influence does not mean claiming his place.
The title made Antonelli a record-setter. The number 12, the visit to Morumbi and the helmet given to Senna’s family gave the moment a particular connection to the Brazilian. And with his arrival at Interlagos, the story returns to the home where Senna built part of his legacy. The new champion arrives with his own name and a memory he chose to honor.
