By Alan Baldwin
MEXICO CITY, Nov 1 (Reuters) – Kimi Antonelli will not have the number one on his car next year out of superstition and humility, the 20-year-old Italian explained after becoming Formula One’s youngest champion on Sunday.
The Mercedes driver took the title in Mexico City with racing number 12 on his car and he will keep that when he starts his reign.
“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,” said the first Italian champion in 73 years.
“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 (on), it went extremely badly. So one more reason to stay with number 12.”
Antonelli is the first F1 driver to win a championship with the number 12 since the late Brazilian triple champion Ayrton Senna did so with his first for McLaren in 1988.
Senna, who died racing for Williams at Italy’s Imola circuit in 1994, is also an idol for Antonelli, who comes from nearby Bologna and Antonelli said he would be wearing a special tribute helmet at next weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix in Sao Paulo.
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said Antonelli’s humility made him a new kind of driver, one that other youngsters should emulate.
“This notion of win at all costs — selfish, opportunistic, ruthlessness for your own benefit — that model of racing driver has died,” said the Austrian.
“We have a new champion that represents values like humility, like integrity, loyalty, respect, believing in himself.
“He should be a role model for many other young drivers in junior formulas. He should be a role model for the few entitled ones in Formula One, the endless moaners on the radio, the ones that complain, the ones that crash.
“Look at this kid of 20 years and then think what you can do in order to improve.”
Wolff said that was how he, the governing FIA and Formula One wanted to see racing drivers in future.
“He (Antonelli) represents the modern Formula One driver because of those values, not only because of his talent,” he added. “He has demonstrated that you can beat everyone out there by being a good person.”
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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