Kimi Antonelli shares “unforgettable” Ayrton Senna moment after F1 title win
2026 Formula 1 champion Kimi Antonelli went from winning his maiden title to sitting in his hero’s car in the space of two days.
The Mercedes driver, who clinched the title at the Mexican Grand Prix last weekend, visited Ayrton Senna’s family home on Tuesday ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix. He shared a photo of himself in the cockpit of the iconic black and gold Lotus 98T that the three-time champion raced in 1986.
“Unforgettable day. Obrigado to the whole Senna family. It will take some time to sink in, but I will carry these memories with me forever,” Antonelli posted on Instagram.
The Italian was joined by his father, Marco, and Senna’s nephew and nieces, Bruno, Bianca and Lalalli Senna, when he visited the Fazenda Dois Lagos estate in Tatuí. The property has its own kart track, opened in 1991, and Antonelli seems to have made the most of it. Bruno Senna, a former F1 driver himself, commented on Antonelli’s post: “Thank you for the karting lesson, Champ!”
Antonelli is not the first F1 champion to make the trip to the estate, with seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton also visiting the property before the race at Interlagos in 2022.
Antonelli has previously spoken about his admiration for Senna. He was spotted sitting by the Brazilian’s grave in the Morumbi Cemetery ahead of the 2025 Brazilian Grand Prix.
“It was a really cool experience,” Antonelli explained to the media at the time. “Ayrton is my racing hero. And yesterday I had a lot of time on hand, so I said, you know, why not? It was very close to my hotel.
“So I decided to go once. I decided to go in the morning, but then I also went in the afternoon because I found it a really quiet place, very peaceful. So in the afternoon, I decided to go there this time with my coach, and we read a book. We were reading a book and just spent some time in peace in a quiet place and it was really nice. But yeah, I really wanted to go and say hi to him.”
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
– The Motorsport.com Team
