New F1 champion Antonelli sits in Senna's iconic Lotus days after clinching 2026 title

Kimi Antonelli marked his first Formula 1 world championship with a deeply personal pilgrimage, visiting Ayrton Senna’s family estate in Tatuí, Brazil, on Tuesday — just two days after clinching the 2026 title at the Mexican Grand Prix. The Mercedes driver sat in the cockpit of the iconic black and gold Lotus 98T that Senna raced during the 1986 season, sharing a photo of the moment on Instagram.

“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 wrote.

The Italian was accompanied by his father, Marco, and by Senna’s nephew and nieces — Bruno, Bianca, and Lalalli Senna — at the Fazenda Dois Lagos estate. The property includes a kart track that opened in 1991, and Antonelli clearly made full use of it. Bruno Senna, a former F1 driver, offered a playful acknowledgement on social media: “Thank you for the karting lesson, Champ!”

Antonelli is not the first world champion to make the trip. Seven-time title winner Lewis Hamilton visited the same estate before the 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix.

The visit fits a pattern of genuine reverence Antonelli has shown toward Senna throughout his career. Ahead of the 2025 Brazilian Grand Prix, he was spotted at Senna’s grave in the Morumbi Cemetery — and returned a second time the same day.

“Ayrton is my racing hero,” Antonelli said at the time. “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.”

Antonelli now heads to Interlagos for the Brazilian Grand Prix, where the newly crowned champion will race in front of a crowd that has long worshipped the memory of the man he considers his greatest inspiration.