Just like many other sports, drivers in F1 are identified by numbers. Though it wasn’t until 2014 they got to choose their own.
Before this there were several ways in which numbers were divided up:
1950-1973 – The first phase saw numbers be allocated by event organisers;
1974-1995 – Permanent team numbers were then trailed from the second half of the 1973 season onwards, based on the Constructor standings, before being fully implemented;
1996-2013 – Drivers were allocated numbers again in teams ordering by the World Constructors’ Championship position of the previous season;
2014 to present day: Currently, drivers have the freedom to choose their own numbers 0-99, apart from 1 (which will be discussed later). Drivers with a higher Championship position in the previous season are given higher preference of selection. Moreover, the current phase means number selected must be absent from the grid for two years.
Number 1:
#1 is currently represented by Red Bull Racing two-time World Champion – Max Verstappen. Since 1974 #1 has been allocated to the World Champion at their discretion with no other driver allowed to select it. The reigning champion chose to switch from his original ‘33’ after winning the Drivers World Championship in 2021, when Max expressed “How often do you get the chance to drive with starting number 1 in your Formula 1 career? You never know”.
Prior to the current holder Sebastian Vettel was the only driver to take the number in 2014 after being crowned champion before Lewis Hamilton’s domination. The number #1 from 1974-2014, was in McLaren’s possession for 12 non-consecutive seasons closely followed by Ferrari with 10 seasons.
Number 2:
The first rookie on the grid for the 2023 season, Logan Sargeant, has selected the number #2 for his Williams. Logan spent the 2022 season being a permanent Williams Racing Driver Academy Member after finishing 7th in the previous FIA Formula 3 Championship, he has since been promoted to the F1 grid for the upcoming season. Sargeant has previously used the number #2 during his time at Formula Renault, though he expressed; “number three is my number, but that’s [out of use following Daniel Riccardo’s departure from F1] I figured why not take a winning number from the past and run with it in F1?”.
The American is second to Stoffel Vandoorne, who was in possession from 2017-2018, to select the number #2 since 2014. Again, the number #2 from 1974-2014, was with McLaren for 13 non-consecutive seasons closely followed by Ferrari with 10 seasons.
Number 4:
#4 is currently selected by McLaren’s Lando Norris and has been since 2019. A number he hasn’t previously used, Englishman shared he took inspiration for MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi who was #46. Another reason for the selection is how it fits well with his initials, which he now uses alongside his own brand Quadrant.
Norris is the second racer to select #4 since 2014 as Max Chilton equipped in the 2014 season. The number #4 from 1974-2014, was in Tyrrell’s possession for 21 consecutive seasons from 1974-1995.
Number 10:
Alpine driver Pierre Gasly is the current owner of #10 and has been since the 2017 season. Along with driving in Formula One the Frenchman is a football fan, he has expressed his admiration of footballer Zinedine Zidane who previously played with the number 10 for the French national team, suggesting this is where his inspiration came from. Gasly also possessed #10 during his 2013 Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup winning season.
The Frenchman is the second owner of #10 following Kamui Kobayashi in the 2014 season. The number #10 was shared around amongst 19 teams from 1974 to 2014!
Number 11:
#11 is represented by Red Bull Racing driver and one of the current longest standing drivers, Sergio Perez, the Mexican has been in possession since 2014 when the new regulation came into place. Similarly to Gasly, Perez also took inspiration from former footballer Ivan Zamorano who wore the number 11 during his time at Club America, the Mexican also expressed that “since [his karting days], it has accompanied me, in fact my personal email has the No. 11!”.
With Perez being a long-standing driver, he’s had it since 2014, previously the number #11 was in Lotus’ possession the most with 14 non-consecutive seasons, the number was shared between 15 teams from 1974-2014.
Number 14:
#14 is possessed by another longstanding racer back in 2014, Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso. Fernando has selected the number since winning his first karting world championship at the age of 14, which ironically was on the 14th of July back in 1999.
There was a two-season gap from 2019-2020 where the number was out of use during Alonso’s break from the grid. The number #14 was shared between 17 teams from 1974-2014, with British Racing Motors in possession the most with 4 non-consecutive seasons.
Number 16:
#16 is represented by Verstappen’s main competitor in 2022 – Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, who has the only driver to select the number since 2014. The Monégasque driver is the only to select #16 since the new regulations. Born on October 16th Leclerc explained he initially wanted #7 but due to this being taken he moved to #10, which again was already selected by good friend Pierre Gasly, finally he did some maths and decided on #16 – “because one plus six is seven”.
As Leclerc has used the number since the new phase was introduced, prior to this the number #16 was another popular number, as it has been shared between 17 teams, with Renault having the most seasons with 7 from 1974-2014.
Number 18:
Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll selected #18 for the F1 grid in 2017 after using it in the early stages of his racing career. Stroll won the Italian Formula 4 Championship with this race number and made his Formula One debut with Williams just after his 18th birthday. The Canadian shared that it is “a bit superstitious, but I like to hold on to little things that are important to me”.
The number #18 from 1974-2014, was yet another popular number being shared between 17 teams with Arrows having the most seasons with 6.
Number 20:
#20 is used by Kevin Magnussen in the Haas. The Danish racing driver won the 2013 Formula Renault 3.5 Series title with #20, which was the year before he made his Grand Prix debut with McLaren in 2014 and he has had the number since, excluding his year out in 2021 where #20 was not issued.
The number #20 from 1974-2014, was another widely held number being shared between 17 teams with Benetton and Minardi both having the number for 7 seasons.
Number 21:
The second rookie of the 2023 grid, Nyck de Vries, selected #21 for his debut season with Alpha Tauri. The Dutchman previously raced with #17 whilst competing in his 2020-21 winning season for Mercedes in Formula E, but as you might be aware, #17 was retired from F1 in 2015 following the death of Jules Bianchi. This mean Nyck had to switch to #21 for the 2023 season. He also raced with #45 during the Free Practice sessions of the 2022 Spanish Grand Prix.
Prior to de Vries, #21 has only been selected by Esteban Gutiérrez in 2014 for a single season and again in 2016. The number #21 was the most common number being shared between 20 teams from 1974-2014, with Minardi having the most possession of the number with 7 seasons.
Number 22:
#22 is currently owned by AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda. After using #11 in karting, Tsunoda decided to double his number to get #22 after the aforementioned number was taken by Sergio Perez, he also shared he liked #22 ‘because it was the number of Jenson Button, a driver [he] respected a lot when he won the Formula 1 World Championship in 2009’.
As previously mentioned, Jenson Button was the only driver to select #22 spanning from 2014-2017. The number #22 from 1974-2014, was in possession of Alfa Romeo the most with 6 non-consecutive seasons, closely followed by Ensign with 5 seasons.
Number 23:
#23 is possessed by Williams driver Alex Albon. When his number was announced back in 2018, ahead of his first spell in F1, Alex took to twitter to share the reason behind his number – ‘I’ve always been a [Valentino] Rossi fan but since I can’t replace the doctor himself, I thought I’d have half of it 😂’ having used Rossi’s number through karting.
From 1974-2014 the number #23 was mostly used by Minardi, who were in possession for 11 seasons.
Number 24:
Zhou Guanyu chose the number #24 in his F1 rookie season as a tribute to basketball legend Kobe Bryant who he is a fan of.
To date, Zhou is the only driver to select the number #24 himself, and it was ironically used for 24 seasons prior to 2014, with Minardi dominating the possession with 10 seasons.
Number 27:
Making his return to F1 with Haas after a season out, Nico Hulkenberg returns to #27. The German has previously suggested that he picked the number based on his birthday where the date and month equal 27 (19 August).
Hulkenburg has had the number 27 since 2014, and prior to this #27 was completely dominated by Ferrari who were in possession for 19 seasons.
Number 31:
After using #31 since his karting days, Alpine’s Esteban Ocon is still in possession of said number for the 2023 season. Esteban has previosly expressed these were some of the best years of his career, which is why he chose it.
Ocon has been the only racer to select #31 since 2014 and has possessed it since 2016 excluding his season out in 2019. From 1974-2014 #31 was evenly spread with Coloni and Osella the only teams to be in possession for multiple seasons.
Number 44:
#44 was selected by Seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton back his karting days, and he has stuck with it since despite having the option to run with #1 as world champion. Inspiration for the Mercedes driver was taken from his fathers’ car licence plate which contained ‘F44’.
With Hamilton being one of the longest serving drivers, he has been in possession since 2014 when the new regulation was brought in, prior to this ‘44’ was only used in 2 seasons by Surtees.
Number 55:
Taking inspiration from the two S’s in his name, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz selected #55 as his race number; Sainz has also revealed 5 is his favourite number, but with this being taken by Sebastian Vettel he opted for latter.
Carlos is the only driver to select the number #55 since 2015, prior to this from 1974-2014 #55 was only used twice by Lotus and Parnelli, each for a single season.
Number 63:
#63 is selected by Mercedes driver George Russell. George has expressed the inspiration behind his number was that his ‘brother used to kart with the number 63, so this has become [their] family number ever since”.
Russell is the only driver to ever select the number #63 in F1.
Number 77:
#77 is in possession of Alfa Romeo Valtteri Bottas. Bottas previously wanted #7, but as this was taken, he opted for #77, it also fits in his personal merchandise with the logo Bo77as.
Prior to Valtteri selecting the number in 2014, it has only been used once with Brabham back in 1977.
Number 81:
Last but not least is the final rookie on the grid, Oscar Piastri, who will be using #81 on his McLaren F1 car. Oscar started his karting days with #11 but as he progressed through the stages had to swap as his original number was already in use … in came #81. When competing in Europe he used various number but hen competing in both British F4 and the Formula Renault Northern European Cup he returned to #81 and he’s used it ever since.
Oscar is also the first racer in F1 to select #81.
