Kimi Antonelli's emotional Senna visit leaves him speechless

Kimi Antonelli paid a visit to Ayrton Senna's nephew and nieces ahead of this weekend's São Paulo Grand Prix, describing it as an "unforgettable day."

Senna has long been the guiding inspiration behind Antonelli's career.

The Italian grew up on stories of the three-time champion and has idolised him since childhood, a tribute reflected in his choice of race number.

Antonelli carries number 12, the number Senna used for part of his own career, and will keep it again next season purely to honour him.

For Antonelli, Senna is far more than a former Formula 1 driver, he is a source of inspiration.

That made his visit to the Senna family all the more significant.

Upon arriving in Brazil after becoming world champion in Mexico City, Antonelli travelled with his father Marco to spend time with Bruno, Bianca and Paula Senna, Ayrton's nephew and nieces.

The new world champion shared a photo on Instagram of himself sitting in the legendary Lotus 98T, the car in which Senna won the Spanish and Detroit Grands Prix in 1986.

It carried the same number 12.

For Antonelli, it was clearly a special and emotional visit to the Senna family.

In the newly crowned world champion's Instagram post, he thanked the Senna family wholeheartedly.

Antonelli wrote: "An unforgettable day."

He added: "Thank you to the entire Senna family."

He continued: "It will take some time to sink in, but I will carry these memories with me forever."

The Senna family also felt honoured by the visit from Kimi and Marco Antonelli.

Paula Senna shared more photos of the visit on social media.

She wrote: "We had the pleasure of welcoming the newest world champion, Kimi Antonelli on a very special occasion: standing next to Ayrton Senna's iconic Lotus, celebrating his victory with a very heartfelt gift, one of my sculptures of Ayrton."

She added: "And we had the opportunity to see from ourselves what a special character he is."

She described it as: "A connection between generations who share the same passion for motorsports and the pursuit of excellence."

She concluded: "Congratulations, Kimi, on this great achievement and on the career you've been building on the track!"

Antonelli became Formula 1's newest world champion in Mexico City just days before this visit.

The 2026 title marked a historic achievement for the young Italian driver, who had been groomed by Mercedes since his early teens.

His rise to the top has been closely watched by the motorsport world, with many drawing comparisons to Senna's own rapid ascent in the 1980s.

Senna won his first world championship in 1988, driving for McLaren, and went on to claim two more titles before his death at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.

The Brazilian driver is widely regarded as one of the greatest in Formula 1 history, known for his extraordinary skill in wet conditions and his fierce determination.

Antonelli has frequently cited Senna as his hero, and his choice of the number 12 is a direct homage.

Number 12 was used by Senna during his early Formula 1 career with the Toleman and Lotus teams, before he switched to number 1 after winning his first championship.

Antonelli's decision to keep the number 12 for the 2027 season, even after becoming world champion and earning the right to use number 1, underscores the depth of his admiration.

In Formula 1, the reigning world champion has the option to use the number 1 on their car for the following season, but Antonelli has chosen to retain number 12 out of respect for Senna.

The visit to the Senna family took place in Sao Paulo, where the Brazilian Grand Prix is held at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, also known as Interlagos.

Antonelli will race at the same circuit this weekend, now carrying the weight of a world champion's expectations.

The timing of the visit — immediately after clinching the title and just before racing on Senna's home soil — adds a layer of symbolism that has not been lost on fans.

Senna himself won his home Grand Prix twice, in 1991 and 1993, both times in emotional circumstances.

The Lotus 98T, the car Antonelli sat in during the visit, is one of the most iconic machines in Formula 1 history.

It was powered by a Renault turbo engine and featured the distinctive black-and-gold John Player Special livery.