The special meaning behind drivers’ numbers

A driver’s number was once mostly anecdotal — assigned based on the standings of the previous year’s Constructors’ Championship or even further in the past by the event organizers. But they’ve gained massive significance in F1 in recent seasons.

Since 2014, in order to help fans recognize drivers more easily, all drivers must choose a number that will accompany them throughout their career. F1 only allows a choice between numbers 2 and 99, with the number 1 reserved for the reigning World Champion, though its use is not mandatory. It’s also possible for the same number to be used by different drivers over time, as the FIA “freezes” a driver’s number for the two seasons following their departure before making it available again. This has so far happened with the numbers 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 21, 22, 28, 88, and 99.

It is worth noting one number has been removed from the list of possible choices: number 17, which belonged to Jules Bianchi. Following the French driver’s death in 2015 from injuries sustained in his accident at the 2014 Japanese GP, F1 removed the number in his honor.

As for the current 2025 F1 season drivers’ number choices, reasonings vary from rather sweet to surprising.

Max Verstappen will carry the number one on his Red Bull Racing car for the fourth-consecutive year

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

Max Verstappen seized the opportunity of his first world title to take the number 1, reserved for the current World Champion, and will begin his fourth season donning it. If he were to lose his crown, the Dutchman would revert to number 33. He number choice for his F1 career was decided out of frustration, as his lucky number 3 was already taken by Daniel Ricciardo. Verstappen then added a second 3 to it.

Lando Norris is a big fan of Valentino Rossi. The MotoGP legend wore number 46 — a number that Norris wanted to take in F1 before eventually changing his mind. In the end, he chose the number 4, which is the first digit of 46, but holds no particular significance otherwise.

The number 5 is a legendary number in F1 and the second most used for titles after number 1. Used from 2015 to 2022 by Sebastian Vettel, accounting for the two-year freeze, it was finally available for 2025. For the Brazilian, however, this number has another meaning: it is the one he used to win the F3 title in 2023. This number is also part of the 85 he used in karting.

Number 6 was used from 2014 to 2016 by Nico Rosberg and then from 2020 to 2022 by Nicholas Latifi, making it the first number to be used three times since 2014. Hadjar simply chose it because it was the number on the very first kart that was bought for him. Later on, he always preferred it whenever the choice was available.

Although it wasn’t his first choice, Jack Doohan is still carrying a rather coveted number.

Photo by: Clive Mason/Getty Images

Initially wanting to use number 12, Jack Doohan ultimately chose number 7 because it was simply a racing number he already used in 2019. He is also happy to race with the number that once belonged to Kimi Raikkonen.

A football fan, Pierre Gasly chose number 10 in tribute to Zinedine Zidane, the iconic number 10 of the French national team. But this number was also used by Gasly during his victorious season in the Formula Renault Eurocup 2.0 in 2013.

Kimi Antonelli chose number 12 because of Ayrton Senna, who wore it between 1985 and 1988. The Italian has also used it since F4 and believes that “it has always gone well” with this number in his career.

For Fernando Alonso, number 14 was an obvious choice: on July 14, 1996, at the age of 14, the two-time F1 World Champion won the karting title driving a machine with the number 14. Despite two full seasons of absence in 2019 and 2020, the Spaniard had no trouble reclaiming his number in 2021.

Struggling to find a number he could use, Charles Leclerc relied on math to get to his choice of number 16:

Photo by: Ferrari

Although he was born on October 16, Charles Leclerc dreamed of the lucky number 7 for his F1 career. But Kimi Raikkonen had it. His next consideration was the number 10, but his friend Pierre Gasly had just taken it. As a last resort, Leclerc used some calculations and landed on number 16 “because 1 plus 6 equals 7.”

Lance Stroll wore the number 18 for his titles in Formula 4 and the Toyota Racing Series. “A little superstitious” — the Canadian stuck with this number when he was recruited to F1, shortly after his 18th birthday.

Yuki Tsunoda wanted to claim number 11, as it was the number he started his racing career with, but it was already assigned to Sergio Perez. The Japanese driver then doubled it to form number 22.

Just like his friend Norris, Alex Albon is a fan of the great Valentino Rossi. But unlike the McLaren driver, the Thai driver didn’t choose the other half of 46; he simply divided it by two, hence the number 23!

Although an iconic number used by the greats, that wasn’t what influence Nico Hulkenburg to pick the number 27.

Photo by: Peter Fox – Getty Images

If we exclude number 1, number 27 is undoubtedly the most iconic and sought-after number in F1. Villeneuve, Senna, Prost, Alesi, Mansell, and Jones all wore it in the 1980s and 1990s. But for Hulkenberg, this choice was simply motivated by the sum of the numbers related to his birthdate, 19/08.

After driving with the number 40 during his temporary stint in 2023, Lawson returned to F1 with the intention of staying and therefore chose number 30 as his permanent number. It is a number he has raced with since he was eight years old — choosing it because someone who looked after him raced with that number. That person became his “hero” by teaching him the ropes of racing.

Esteban Ocon won the French karting championship in the Minimes category with number 31 in 2007. With fond memories of that year, the choice was made clear for the Alpine driver as he made his way into F1.

For his first karting race at the age of eight, Lewis Hamilton didn’t know which number to use. The Brit then looked at his father’s license plate, which started with F44. The rest is history!

With number 5 taken, Carlos Sainz, Williams looked to double it, while also giving a nod to the “s”es in his name.

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

Carlos Sainz needed a bit of creativity to choose his race number. The Spaniard initially set his sights on number 5 (already taken) before doubling it, with 55 representing, in his view, the two S’s in his name: Carlo55ainz.

The number 63, belonging to George Russell, is actually a family affair. His brother, Benjy Russell, raced with this number in karting in the 2000s.

Oscar Piastri had to choose a two-digit number for his first karting race and the store he went to only had 1s available… That’s how he started his career with number 11, which later became 81 when one of his competitors was already using it.

Oliver Bearman chose number 87 as it represents the birth dates of himself (May 8) and his brother (August 7). It is a number he has regularly used since the beginning of his career.