The number 12, a blue cap, countless hours spent watching and analysing old footage, and a childhood hero who died twelve years before his birth. Kimi Antonelli may have become a world champion, but he is not Ayrton Senna.
Still, the connection between the young Italian and the Brazilian legend goes much deeper than admiration alone. It brings together a series of unusual similarities, an almost obsessive focus on the smallest details and a bond between two very different generations of Formula 1 drivers.
Ayrton Senna has always been a major source of inspiration for Kimi Antonelli. In Brazil, however, many people see their connection as something much more significant. The physical similarities between the two drivers have been discussed countless times, with some Brazilians even suggesting that Kimi could be Senna’s reincarnation.
There are several details that make the comparison understandable: the hairstyle, the way they wear their caps and Kimi’s choice of a blue cap that looks very much like the one Ayrton used to wear.
Then there is the number 12. Before drivers were given the freedom to choose their own permanent racing numbers, 12 was closely associated with Senna. In much the same way, the number 27 remains forever linked to Gilles Villeneuve.
What makes this story even more interesting is that Antonelli belongs to Generation Z and was born twelve (12!) years after Senna died in 1994. Yet, when asked which driver he has always looked up to, his answer is the Brazilian champion.
There is another similarity in the way they celebrate their podium finishes: both have been known to pour champagne over their heads. Kimi has probably absorbed many of Senna’s habits through the countless videos he has watched over the years, studying the Brazilian’s career and performances in great detail.
He has repeatedly explained that watching this footage is one of the ways he finds inspiration in Ayrton. At the same time, Antonelli is well aware that he still has plenty to learn. He has acknowledged that he needs to develop the sharp instincts, competitive aggression and other qualities that made Senna such an exceptional driver.
Toto Wolff has made no secret of his frustration with the comparisons between his young driver and Ayrton Senna. However, many of these comparisons are not intended to suggest that the two have the same driving abilities or approach to racing.
They are often simply statistical comparisons, the kind regularly used to measure a driver’s achievements against those of previous generations and understand their place in Formula 1 history. There is no reason to suggest that Antonelli drives like Senna or possesses the same skills.
Their careers belong to entirely different periods, with very different cars and technical conditions. Nevertheless, one characteristic clearly brings them together: the importance they both place on getting every little detail right. The technology available to today’s drivers is completely different from what Senna had at his disposal, but their attitude towards their work shows a remarkable similarity.
Making the most of available data is now an essential part of Kimi’s development. Modern drivers can analyse millions of pieces of information, compared with perhaps just hundreds in Senna’s era. Yet Ayrton was already a pioneer in this area, always looking for ways to study the available information and find even the smallest performance advantage.
The introduction of the new regulations has also created a different kind of challenge, giving all drivers a fresh opportunity to adapt to new conditions. The younger Generation Z drivers have shown that they can handle this transition, but experienced competitors such as Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso have demonstrated the same ability.
Antonelli’s admiration for Senna has also taken him to the Brazilian driver’s grave, where he was photographed reading a book about his idol. It is an image that captures the strength of this connection perhaps better than anything else.
Kimi may have a different understanding of the dangers of the sport compared with drivers from previous generations, but he still competes in an environment where the smallest mistake can have serious consequences. Every second on the track carries risks, and he knows that very well.
Formula 1 has made enormous progress in terms of safety since Senna’s death. This improvement has been vital, although it may also make the dangers of racing less obvious to those behind the wheel. Modern simulators have changed the way young drivers prepare for competition, too.
Moving from a virtual environment to an actual Formula 1 car is now a much more natural process than it was in the past. As a result, younger drivers may not always have a complete understanding of the risks involved when they get onto a real circuit.
Whenever he attends events outside the official racing schedule, Kimi often chooses to wear a Senna T-shirt. There is a sense that something of Ayrton’s legacy is being carried forward through him.
Naturally, Antonelli is his own person and will have to build his own identity in Formula 1. But there is undoubtedly something particularly meaningful about his connection with the Brazilian champion.
Kimi is not Senna reincarnated, despite what some Brazilians firmly believe when they look at the numbers, statistics and curious similarities between them. Still, when all these coincidences are put together, it is difficult not to feel that there is something unusual about their connection.
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