Like other motorsports, F1 drivers also pick race numbers for themselves and their teams. Some drivers have stuck with the number of their choice for a long time, even before they joined the top level of the sport. While drivers can pick any number between 2 and 99, there is one number which is off-limits. The number 17 has been retired from the sport due to its tragic history.
Jules Bianchi, one of the rising stars of the world of F1, lost his life at the Japanese Grand Prix in 2014. Bianchi’s car collided with a mobile crane at the Suzuka Circuit, and he suffered head and spinal injuries. After battling for his life, Bianchi died nine months later after succumbing to his injuries. Before he passed away, the French race car driver competed with the number 17. The FIA decided to retire the number permanently out of respect for Charles Leclerc’s godfather.
Apart from the retirement of No. 17, Bianchi’s death had further implications for F1. Due to the efforts of the late driver’s family and other parties, the FIA instituted further safety measures to protect drivers. One of the biggest protective changes was the introduction of the Halo crash protection device.
The halo is a three-pronged titanium structure that covers the cockpit of the car. It can withstand 15 times the static load of a Formula 1 car, acting as a shield for the driver from any impact during accidents. It has been credited with protecting a driver in a number of instances. One recent situation was Romain Grosjean’s crash at the Bahrain Grand Prix in 2020. When he crashed into the barriers, the halo protected the French driver from any major head trauma.
What are the stories behind some iconic F1 numbers?
There are many drivers on the F1 grid with iconic numbers. One of whom is Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time World Champion. Hamilton has driven with the #44 since he joined Mercedes. However, his association with the number lies much beyond his time with the championship-winning team.
The Briton shared that the 44 was the number on the back of the first kart he drove with. The kart was used by many families before Hamilton’s father rebuilt and fixed it. They needed a number to enter with. That’s when number 44 first emerged in Hamilton’s career.
“When I was eight, we got a really old go-kart and it was owned by, like, five or six different families. It was from the back of the newspaper. My dad got this kart, rebuilt it and we had to enter our first race and my dad didn’t know what number to use. And on the number plate of his car was F44,” said Hamilton.
Hamilton’s former championship rival, Max Verstappen, drives with the #1 at present. But, before he scored his first title, the Dutchman used to race under the #33. After his triumph at the season finale at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Verstappen got to change his number. The #1 is reserved for the reigning world champion, so when he got a chance to swap, the Red Bull driver leaped at it.
“How many times do you get the opportunity to swap?” said Verstappen. “Number one is the best number out there so for me it was very straightforward to pick the number one, and hopefully number 33 doesn’t come back next year!” Verstappen said in 2023. [quotes via F1]
If Max Verstappen loses the 2025 F1 Drivers’ Championship title, he would revert back to his #33.
