Two F1 drivers wanted the same race number for 2025 - this is what happened

Kimi Antonelli and Jack Doohan both wanted the same race number for their rookie F1 season in 2025.

Antonelli has won the tug-of-war over the coveted #12.

F1 regulations state that drivers must select a number which is permanent throughout their career.

A number only becomes vacant if the previous holder has been away from F1 for two seasons.

No driver has used #12 since 2019.

But Mercedes’ Antonelli and Alpine’s Doohan both wanted it.

“I have many numbers that I like, but 12 is a special one,” said Antonelli. “I have been using it since F4. It always went well, so there’s no reason to change it for next year.”

Antonelli ran with #12 when he drove for Mercedes in FP1 at the F1 Italian Grand Prix.

Notably, Ayrton Senna ran with #12 for several years in the 80s.

Antonelli must have applied for the #12 before Doohan in order to have received the nod from the FIA.

“I will choose #12," Doohan said before the number was taken by Antonelli.

"I've been thinking about it over the summer break and then we locked it in, so 12 will be the number I start my Formula 1 season with."

Doohan must now choose a new number to kickstart his F1 career with, knowing it will follow him for his entire duration in the series.