How long can drivers keep chosen F1 number?

[John S]

Not for life, too few numbers obviously, so can anyone explain? 

I know that each team is issued two extra numbers in a season for reserve/test/replacement drivers, which explains how Lotterer and Rossi got their numbers for the current race weekend, but how long do regular F1 drivers keep their chosen number?

For example if JEV fails to find a new seat in 2015 will he have to hand in his number or can he keep it a year just in case he lands a drive for the season after? Also if he lands a reserve job will he have to hand in his chosen number and rely on one of his new team's allocated digits?   

[Jericoke]

The rules on Formula1.com are quite vague.

is it possible the FIA hasn't thought this through?

Or will we soon see triple digit numbers?

[cosworth151]

Or will we soon see triple digit numbers?

I'm all for that!!   

[J.Clark]

I never liked the idea.
To me, as a driver, I liked the idea of earning that number 1.

There are not that many numbers, but then, there are not that many drivers either.  How long would it take to cover 99, with so few drivers?  Teams could retire a driver's number, but F1 could retire numbers of those who won multiple championships, or set a new record for the number of championships won.  That would mean that when a driver retires, the number could be picked by another driver so I don't see any real danger of running out numbers.

[Scott]

I'm not that smitten one way or the other.  The only problem I had with the old system was when a teammate of the WDC who could have finished way down the count, ends up with Number 2 instead of 6 or whatever.  Or even worse if a WDC changes team the following year, the new driver actually gets 1 on the car because the team won the WCC. 

But, like I said, I couldn't really care what number the driver is...I don't often look at the car number, since the drivers names are all whittled down to 3 letters, it fits on any scoreboard I pay attention to.  The new numbers have been a complete failure in the sense that it is no easier to identify the car, because they haven't given the number enough space to be identified unless it is sitting stationary.

[cosworth151]

At least they did retain #1 for the WDC.

[Irisado]

The old system was logical with clear rules.  The new system is a complete random mess which has been ill thought through.  They should revert to the old system in my view.

[F1fanaticBD]

Contrary to most of the people I really like the idea drivers with numbers, it does give them an identity, and give the driver's entourage to sell more merchandise. But in my view a driver may keep the number as long as he keeps the super license. The old system I always felt was a bit of harsh towards drivers, because the team standing is a combine of both the drivers of that particular team, so if the team-mate is not doing that good, the better driver will have to settle for number lower than what he earned in the previous year. At least this year, we don't have that.

[Irisado]

The numbers, however, are car numbers, not driver numbers.  They were awarded to the teams on the basis of constructors' championship results.  The only exception was the number 1, which was always the world champion driver's number.  If you think about it in that way, the old system did not penalise drivers, because numbers were not awarded to them anyway.

Also, if the new numbering system had all been about ranking drivers, so that drivers take the number from their finishing position in the championship the previous year, that would have been okay by me.  It's not based on that at all though.  It's just random, based on driver preferences.  That's not right for Formula 1.

[Ian]

I still think that driver numbers should be given in the order that they finished in the previous years WDC, regardless of the teams they drove for.

[F1fanaticBD]

It is purely business, nothing else Irisado. Like the trophies has became the sponsors logo presentation, this theme was taken entirely on the basis of business. I am sure they have seen the 24 branding Jeff Gordon in Nascar, the famous 46 of Valentino Rossi, and they said that to themselves lets have it in the F1 as well. And as it opens up for new business possibilities, Bernie will never change it.

[Ian]

And 93 for Marc Marquez.

[Scott]

For the record, I hated the shell plates at Spa, but not nearly as much as the plastic Santander logos they've been handing out at other races this year. 

[Irisado]

I still think that driver numbers should be given in the order that they finished in the previous years WDC, regardless of the teams they drove for.

That's the alternative proposal I was alluding to in my post above yours .  I prefer the previous system, but if we are to have driver numbers, then the championship order system you describe would be a much better one than the current one.

It is purely business, nothing else Irisado. Like the trophies has became the sponsors logo presentation, this theme was taken entirely on the basis of business. I am sure they have seen the 24 branding Jeff Gordon in Nascar, the famous 46 of Valentino Rossi, and they said that to themselves lets have it in the F1 as well. And as it opens up for new business possibilities, Bernie will never change it.

Which is exactly why I dislike the current system .

[Scott]

I still completely disagree.  A driver's number should be almost like his name.  It is something the fans can recognize him by, and be highlighted in shirts, hats and such.  I am still going to be a Hakkinen fan when he moves from Ferrari, and as such, I would rather people recognize that when I wear a Ferrari hat with the 7 on it, that I am a Kimi fan, and not a Bianchi fan who may have finished 7th the year before, but a few years after Kimi left the team.