Numbers up for the F1 gang

[John S]

Some strange requests from the drivers, Pastor chose 13  and Sutil 99. See full list below.

Also seems Max has the second seat at Marussia, funny the team have not confirmed it themselves though?   


Red Bull Racing

Sebastian Vettel - 1 (for the duration of his F1 career, he chose 5)

Daniel Ricciardo - 3

Mercedes GP Petronas Formula One

Lewis Hamilton - 44

Nico Rosberg - 6

Scuderia Ferrari

Fernando Alonso - 14

Kimi Raikkonen - 7

Lotus F1 Team

Romain Grosjean - 8

Pastor Maldonado - 13

McLaren Mercedes

Jenson Button - 22

Kevin Magnussen - 20

Sahara Force India F1 Team

Nico Hulkenberg - 27

Sergio Perez - 11

Sauber F1 Team

Adrian Sutil - 99

Esteban Gutierrez - 21

Scuderia Toro Rosso

Jean-Eric Vergne - 25

Daniil Kvyat - 26

Williams Team F1

Felipe Massa - 19

Valtteri Bottas - 77

Marussia F1 Team

Jules Bianchi - 17

Max Chilton - TBA

Caterham F1 Team

TBA

TBA

[Jericoke]

I'm certainly curious as to why each driver chose their number.

It's not as though F1 has a history of iconic race numbers like NASCAR does.  Are they choosing numbers from athletes in other sports?  Numbers that were lucky in the junior formulae and carting?

(I presume Kimi went for Lucky 7, and Hulkenberg went for Gilles' number.   Any other guesses?)

[PG_Gabriel]

Button was 22 when he won the world championship in 2009. Other wise just their lucky number I guess? 

[lkjohnson1950]

Well, 5 was certainly associated with Mansell. And maybe Alonso is a Foyt or Stewart fan. 

[batman01]

I heard Kimi went for 7 because "it's the number I had last year and saw no reason to change it."
http://formula1.ferrari.com/news/fia-assigns-numbers

[Scott]

Sutil is maybe a Gretzky fan?

[Scott]

Also seems Max has the second seat at Marussia, funny the team have not confirmed it themselves though?   

Seems it's official now.  http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/formula1/25696052

[vintly]

I like 99, it looks good - all series of two like numbers look good, and 99's the highest available. Like Jorge Lorenzo in MotoGP - I guess he chose it because of that.

Love the fact that Kimi only chose 7 because it involved the lease amount of thinking - you can count on Kimi for the easiest route to an answer, or through a corner.

Massa's got my 'feelgood' number - 19. I refrain from saying 'lucky' because I don't feel it is, any more than any other, I just like it.

But how dare he!

[cosworth151]

Maybe Grosjean took 8 for the same reason that Joe Weatherly used it: You can still read it when the car is upside down.

[Scott]

Maybe Grosjean took 8 for the same reason that Joe Weatherly used it: You can still read it when the car is upside down.

    Or if he sticks it nose first in the ground it will be the 'Infinity' symbol.

[Irisado]

I heard Kimi went for 7 because "it's the number I had last year and saw no reason to change it."
http://formula1.ferrari.com/news/fia-assigns-numbers

This sums up how much of a farce the whole thing is.  For once I agree with Raikkonen.  Why bother changing the number?

The whole thing is as stupid as it is pointless.  What we now have is a series of random numbers which tell us nothing about last season's results.  I used to use the numbering system to remember the constructors' championship results, and that's out of the window now.  It looks unprofessional to have all these random numbers dotted over the cars too.

What a waste of time.

[vintly]

Irisado, you have outdone yourself. The level of whining in your post has reached new levels, congratulations!

farce / why bother? / stupid / pointless / tell us nothing / out of the window now / unprofessional / waste of time

8 points 

Keep up the good work, I for one enjoy your rants.

[cosworth151]

I agree with Irisado. The numbers are meaningless now. They don't even indicate what team the car is.

[Irisado]

Irisado, you have outdone yourself. The level of whining in your post has reached new levels, congratulations!

farce / why bother? / stupid / pointless / tell us nothing / out of the window now / unprofessional / waste of time

8 points 

Keep up the good work, I for one enjoy your rants.

Funnily enough, I only get this mad or complain so much about Formula 1.  On all the other forums I post on I'm usually much more sanguine.  Recent developments in Formula 1 are bringing out the worst in me I'm afraid .

I'm just so fed up with it all.  Numbers being changed, DRS, KERS, rubbish new circuits, CVC taking too much money, and excessive reliability.  All of these changes are looking at the wrong things to make Formula 1 better.  What makes people watch the sport is genuine overtaking manoeuvres, and cars following each other closely, being able to pass and re-pass each other without artificial aids (Arnoux versus Villeneuve at Dijon in 1979 is one of the most classic bits of footage I've seen for this, and is still played over and over again - it's that kind of action Formula 1 needs and not one of these daft new ideas proposed by the FIA, FOTA, or FOM is going to bring this kind of drama back).

[vintly]

So your angst is born from passion - that's not a bad thing, but do try to lighten up a bit, for your own sake. There's a multitude of other ills that could have befallen F1 - and I don't mean to state the obvious but here's a few good things, from a fan's perspective.

• F1 exists - it could quite easily become a much more diluted version of itself if it had split up, with a couple or more different spin-offs vying for fans' attention - like the various boxing federations, or even darts.

• It IS the pinnacle of motorsports - in most peoples' eyes. At least for now - and even if this is being endangered by certain policies, it still has the cutting edge for now.

• 19+ races a season. Even if you don't like all the tracks, it's better than the old days, plain and simple.

• TV coverage. Ok the lack of free-to-air coverage is an issue, and the anti-Sky brigade have a valid argument. BUT, it is there if you're willing to pay. We live in a golden age of media-tech, it ain't cheap but my god it's good.

• ALONSO AND KIMI ARE IN THE SAME CAR!!! Now that's is something to be thankful for, surely.

• This forum.

I could go on but you get the point...