Kimi Antonelli’s emotional visit to Ayrton Senna’s family

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."

Antonelli wrote: "Thank you to the entire Senna family."

Antonelli wrote: "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, with the following caption: "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."

Paula Senna wrote: "And we had the opportunity to see from ourselves what a special character he is."

Paula Senna wrote: "A connection between generations who share the same passion for motorsports and the pursuit of excellence."

Paula Senna wrote: "Congratulations, Kimi, on this great achievement and on the career you’ve been building on the track!"

The visit took place just days after Antonelli clinched the Formula 1 World Drivers' Championship in Mexico City.

That race, the Mexican Grand Prix, was held on October 25, 2026.

Antonelli's championship win came in his first full season with Mercedes, a remarkable achievement for a driver who was still a teenager when the season began.

Formula 1's World Drivers' Championship is awarded each year to the driver who scores the most points over the course of the season, based on a system that awards points for finishes in the top ten of each Grand Prix.

The 2026 season consisted of 24 races across five continents, making it one of the longest in the sport's history.

Senna, who died in a crash at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, remains a towering figure in the sport, particularly in Brazil.

Senna won three world championships, in 1988, 1990 and 1991, all with McLaren.

He is remembered not only for his 41 Grand Prix victories but also for his fierce competitiveness and near-mystical connection with the Brazilian public.

The number 12 that Antonelli chose holds a direct link to Senna's career.

Senna used number 12 during his 1986 season with Lotus, driving the very car — the Lotus 98T — that Antonelli sat in during the visit.

That season, Senna won the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez and the Detroit Grand Prix in Michigan.

Antonelli's decision to keep the number 12 for the 2027 season, despite being entitled to choose any number as the reigning champion, was a deliberate tribute.

The visit was arranged privately, not as a public event or media opportunity.

Antonelli and his father made the trip to the Senna family's home in São Paulo, where they spent several hours together.

The sculpture that Paula Senna gave to Antonelli is one of several she has created in honour of her uncle.

Paula Senna is a sculptor and the daughter of Ayrton Senna's sister, Viviane.

Bruno Senna, Ayrton's nephew, is a former Formula 1 driver himself, having raced for HRT and Williams in 2010 and 2012.

Bianca Senna, another niece, is a businesswoman who runs Senna Brands, the company that manages Ayrton Senna's intellectual property and legacy.

The gift of the sculpture was described by Paula Senna as "a very heartfelt gift."

Antonelli's Instagram post has drawn widespread attention from fans and fellow drivers, with many noting the emotional weight of the moment.

The post, which shows Antonelli in the cockpit of the Lotus 98T, has been shared thousands of times across social media platforms.

Antonelli's father Marco has been a constant presence throughout his son's career, having managed his rise from karting to Formula 1.

Marco Antonelli was present for the visit and was included in the photos shared by Paula Senna.

The visit comes ahead of the São Paulo Grand Prix, which will be held at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace in Interlagos on November 8, 2026.

This is the first time Antonelli will race in Brazil as a world champion.

The Brazilian Grand Prix is one of the most anticipated events on the Formula 1 calendar, known for its passionate crowds and unpredictable weather.

Antonelli's championship victory was secured with a third-place finish in Mexico City, enough to give him an insurmountable lead over his closest rival, Lando Norris of McLaren.

The season has been dominated by the rivalry between Mercedes and McLaren, with Antonelli winning seven races and Norris winning six.

Antonelli's rise to the top has been rapid.

He joined the Mercedes junior program in 2019 at age 13, after being scouted by the team's talent identification system.

He won the Formula 2 championship in 2024, earning his promotion to Formula 1 with Mercedes for the 2025 season.

His first season was marked by two wins and consistent podium finishes, setting the stage for his championship run in 2026.

The visit to the Senna family was not the first time Antonelli has publicly honoured Senna.

He has previously spoken about how Senna's driving style and determination inspired his own approach to racing.

In interviews, Antonelli has described watching old footage of Senna's qualifying laps and studying his technique.

The connection between Italian drivers and Senna is well established in Formula 1 history.

Senna's greatest rival was Alain Prost, a Frenchman, but he also had close relationships with several Italian figures in the sport.

Senna drove for the Italian team Ferrari in 1990 and 1991, though his time there was marked by controversy and mechanical failures.

Despite that, Senna remains deeply admired in Italy, and Italian drivers have often cited him as an influence.

Antonelli, born in Bologna in 2006, grew up in a country where Senna's legend is still celebrated.

The number 12 itself has a storied history in Formula 1.

Before 1996, drivers were assigned numbers by their teams based on the previous season's constructors' championship standings.

After 1996, drivers were allowed to choose their own permanent numbers, with the reigning champion always using number 1.

Antonelli's choice of number 12 was unusual because most drivers choose numbers that have personal significance, such as birthdays or lucky numbers.

For Antonelli, the number is purely a tribute to Senna.

The Senna family's public response to the visit has been overwhelmingly positive.

Paula Senna's Instagram caption emphasized the personal connection she felt with Antonelli, calling him a "special character."

Bruno Senna, who has met many Formula 1 drivers through his own career and family connections, reportedly spent considerable time talking with Antonelli about racing and Senna's legacy.

The visit has been described by observers as a passing of the torch between generations of Brazilian and Italian motorsport fans.

Antonelli's championship win has been celebrated in Italy as a national triumph, with the Italian press calling him the country's greatest Formula 1 hope since Alberto Ascari in the 1950s.

Ascari won two world championships for Ferrari in 1952 and 1953, and no Italian driver has won the title since.

Antonelli broke that 73-year drought with his victory in Mexico City.

His win has reignited interest in Formula 1 across Italy, with television ratings for races spiking dramatically over the course of the season.

The emotional weight of the visit to the Senna family is therefore layered with national pride, personal history, and the shared legacy of two of the sport's most beloved figures.

Antonelli's own words — "I will carry these memories with me forever" — suggest that the visit was not a publicity stunt but a deeply personal moment.

The timing of the visit, immediately after winning the championship and before the Brazilian Grand Prix, underscores its significance.

Antonelli could have spent the week between races celebrating with sponsors or resting.

Instead, he chose to pay his respects to the family of the man he has called his hero.

The visit also serves as a reminder of the human side of Formula 1, a sport often dominated by corporate interests and political maneuvering.

For one afternoon, the world champion sat in an old car and talked with the family of a driver who died before he was born.

That car, the Lotus 98T, is a piece of racing history.

It was designed by Gérard Ducarouge and featured a Renault turbocharged engine that produced over 1,000 horsepower in qualifying trim.

The car was notoriously difficult to drive, with massive turbo lag and a chassis that required extreme precision from the driver.

Senna's ability to extract performance from the 98T was seen as proof of his extraordinary talent.