In Formula One, each car is numbered. Since the inaugural Formula One World Championship in , several numbering systems have been used. This list covers the numbers used by drivers since the start of the 2014 Formula One season, when drivers have been allowed to choose a number that they would carry throughout their career.
History 1950–1973 From to , driver numbers were allocated by the organisers of each event, with no consistent method deployed across events.
1974–1995 It was not until , following a short trial the previous year, when a consistent race-to-race numbering system was first implemented in Formula One. The reigning World Champion received number 1, their teammate took number 2, and numbers 3 and 4 and beyond were assigned to teams based on the 1973 Constructors' Championship results. These assigned numbers were supposed to stay with their teams as long as they were part of Formula One or until they ran the reigning World Drivers' Champion, in which case they would swap numbers with the team previously running numbers 1 and 2. In the event of the drivers' champion not returning, no swap took place, and either number 0 (Damon Hill in and ) or number 1 (Ronnie Peterson in 1974 and John Watson in one race) was exceptionally used.
This system was dropped in . Some traditional numbers of Formula One teams during this period are listed below.
Team Car numberYears Tyrrell34– Williams2728–56– Brabham78–, – McLaren78–, – Lotus56–1112–, – Ferrari1112–2728–, – Renault1516– Benetton1920– Scuderia Italia2122– Alfa Romeo2223– Minardi2324– Ligier2526– Arrows1718–2930–
1996–2013 After 1995, the numbers would change every year, as the previous season's Constructors' Championship standings would be used to determine the order from numbers 3 and 4 downwards, with the team of the World Drivers' Champion still getting numbers 1 and 2. Throughout this period, number 13 was not used due to its superstitious connotation, with the FIA electing to skip from 11 and 12 to 14 and 15.
2014–present In 2014, it was decided to introduce the current system, where each driver gets to choose a permanent number. Drivers were initially allowed to choose any number from 2 through 99; number 1 is reserved for the World Drivers' Champion. The number 17 was retired in 2015 as a mark of respect to Jules Bianchi, who died that year from injuries sustained in a crash at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix while carrying the number.
A permanent number can only be reallocated if the driver associated with that number has not participated in a single race over the past two consecutive seasons—a driver picking their number for can not choose numbers which were last used in or , unless the number was issued temporarily by the FIA. For instance, Jenson Button's number 22 would have been available for re-allocation in 2019 after his departure from full-time racing in 2016, but an appearance in the 2017 Monaco Grand Prix replacing Fernando Alonso (who was participating in the 2017 Indianapolis 500 instead), meant that his number could not be reassigned until 2020 at the earliest. Yuki Tsunoda subsequently picked that number (22) for 2021.
From 2026, drivers were allowed to request a change in permanent number. Max Verstappen was the first to exploit this rule, switching from 33 to 3.
Formula One driver numbers Permanent numbers The following lists all Formula One driver numbers which were claimed as permanent career numbers since 2014. Driver Firstused Lastused 1Reserved for champion 2014 active 2 Stoffel Vandoorne data-sort-value="z" 2017 2018 Logan Sargeant data-sort-value="z" 2023 2024 3 Daniel Ricciardo data-sort-value="z" 2014 2024 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 2026 active 4 Max Chilton data-sort-value="z" 2014 2014 Lando Norris McLaren 2019 2025 5 Sebastian Vettel data-sort-value="z" 2015 2022 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi 2025 active 6 Nico Rosberg data-sort-value="z" 2014 2016 Nicholas Latifi data-sort-value="z" 2020 2022 Isack Hadjar Red Bull Racing 2025 active 7 Kimi Räikkönen data-sort-value="z" 2014 2021 Jack Doohan data-sort-value="z" 2025 2025 8 Romain Grosjean data-sort-value="z" 2014 2020 9 Marcus Ericsson data-sort-value="z" 2014 2018 Nikita Mazepin data-sort-value="z" 2021 2021 10 Kamui Kobayashi data-sort-value="z" 2014 2014 Pierre Gasly Alpine 2017 active 11 Sergio Pérez Cadillac 2014 active 12 Felipe Nasr data-sort-value="z" 2015 2016 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 2025 active 13 Pastor Maldonado data-sort-value="z" 2014 2015 14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 2014 active 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 2018 active 17 Jules Bianchi Permanently retired 2014 2014 18 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 2017 active 19 Felipe Massa data-sort-value="z" 2014 2017 20 Kevin Magnussen data-sort-value="z" 2014 2024 21 Esteban Gutiérrez data-sort-value="z" 2014 2016 Nyck de Vries data-sort-value="z" 2023 2023 22 Jenson Button data-sort-value="z" 2014 2017 Yuki Tsunoda Racing Bulls 2021 active 23 Alexander Albon Williams 2019 active 24 Zhou Guanyu data-sort-value="z" 2022 2024 25 Jean-Éric Vergne data-sort-value="z" 2014 2014 26 Daniil Kvyat data-sort-value="z" 2014 2020 27 Nico Hülkenberg Audi 2014 active 28 Will Stevens data-sort-value="z" 2015 2015 Brendon Hartley data-sort-value="z" 2017 2018 30 Jolyon Palmer data-sort-value="z" 2016 2017 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls 2024 active 31 Esteban Ocon Haas 2016 active 33 Max Verstappen data-sort-value="z" 2015 2021 35 Sergey Sirotkin data-sort-value="z" 2018 2018 41 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls 2026 active 43 Franco Colapinto Alpine 2024 active 44 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 2014 active 47 Mick Schumacher data-sort-value="z" 2021 2022 53 Alexander Rossi data-sort-value="z" 2015 2015 55 Carlos Sainz Jr. Williams 2015 active 63 George Russell Mercedes 2019 active 77 Valtteri Bottas Cadillac 2014 active 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren 2023 active 87 Oliver Bearman Haas 2025 active 88 Rio Haryanto data-sort-value="z" 2016 2016 Robert Kubica data-sort-value="z" 2019 2021 89 Jack Aitken data-sort-value="z" 2020 2020 94 Pascal Wehrlein data-sort-value="z" 2016 2017 98 Roberto Merhi data-sort-value="z" 2015 2015 99 Adrian Sutil data-sort-value="z" 2014 2014 Antonio Giovinazzi data-sort-value="z" 2019 2021 Sources:
Temporary numbers The FIA have also issued temporary numbers to drivers that are exceptions to the career numbers rule; for example, if a driver withdraws from a race and a reserve driver takes their place, they receive a team-allocated number. This is also the case for free-practice–only drivers. Examples include 39 (used by Brendon Hartley in one race), 40 (used by Paul di Resta in one race and Liam Lawson in five), 45 (used by André Lotterer and Nyck de Vries in one race each), 50 (used by Oliver Bearman in two races). The number 42 was entered twice for Alexander Rossi in , but not for the main Grand Prix races: once for a practice session during the where he was supposed to replace Max Chilton before his team (Marussia) reinstated Chilton, and once for the as substitute for Jules Bianchi, before his team ultimately chose not to run a second car alongside Chilton.
DriverTeamGrand(s) Prix participatedSource 36 Antonio Giovinazzi Sauber 2017 Australian Grand Prix2017 Chinese Grand Prix 38 Oliver Bearman Ferrari 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 39 Brendon Hartley Toro Rosso 2017 United States Grand Prix 40 Paul di Resta Williams 2017 Hungarian Grand Prix Liam Lawson AlphaTauri 2023 Dutch Grand Prix2023 Italian Grand Prix2023 Singapore Grand Prix2023 Japanese Grand Prix2023 Qatar Grand Prix 45 André Lotterer Caterham 2014 Belgian Grand Prix Nyck de Vries Williams 2022 Italian Grand Prix 46 Will Stevens Caterham 2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 47 Stoffel Vandoorne McLaren 2016 Bahrain Grand Prix 50 Oliver Bearman Haas 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix2024 São Paulo Grand Prix 51 Pietro Fittipaldi Haas 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix2020 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 61 Jack Doohan Alpine 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Number 1 The number 1 is reserved for the previous season's World Drivers' Champion, although it is not mandatory for the driver to run the number. The first driver to exercise the right to run the number 1 under the new regulations was Sebastian Vettel in 2014. The number then went unused for seven seasons, with Lewis Hamilton keeping his permanent number 44 after his title wins in 2014–2015 and 2017–2020, and Nico Rosberg retiring after his championship win in 2016. Despite Hamilton not using it full-time, he received permission to display the number 1 on the nose of his car during Friday practice at the 2018 and 2019 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. However, his car was officially entered under his usual number 44, which remained visible on the engine cover. Max Verstappen used number 1 from 2022 to 2025, following his titles in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. Lando Norris is currently using number 1 in 2026, following his title win in 2025.
Driver Firstused Lastused Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing 2014 2014 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 2022 2025 Lando Norris McLaren 2026 ActiveSource:
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