In Formula One, each car is numbered. Since the inaugural Formula One World Championship in 1950, 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 1950 to 1973, driver numbers were allocated by the organisers of each event, with no consistent method deployed across events.
1974–1995
It was not until 1974 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 would take place, and number 0 would be used instead of 1—this only occurred in 1993 and 1994 with Damon Hill. Some traditional numbers of Formula One teams during this period are listed below.[citation needed]
| Team | Car number | Years | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tyrrell | 3 | 4 | 1974–1995 |
| Williams | 27 | 28 | 1978–1980 |
| 5 | 6 | 1982–1995 | |
| Brabham | 7 | 8 | 1974–1977, 1985–1992 |
| McLaren | 7 | 8 | 1978–1984, 1993–1995 |
| Lotus | 5 | 6 | 1975–1978 |
| 11 | 12 | 1980–1987, 1989–1994 | |
| Ferrari | 11 | 12 | 1974–1979 |
| 27 | 28 | 1981–1989, 1991–1995 | |
| Renault | 15 | 16 | 1977–1985 |
| Benetton | 19 | 20 | 1986–1992 |
| Scuderia Italia | 21 | 22 | 1989–1992 |
| Alfa Romeo | 22 | 23 | 1980–1985 |
| Minardi | 23 | 24 | 1986–1994 |
| Ligier | 25 | 26 | 1976–1995 |
| Arrows | 17 | 18 | 1984–1988 |
| 29 | 30 | 1979–1983 | |
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 2025 can not choose numbers which were last used in 2023 or 2024, 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.
In 2026, drivers will be allowed to request a change in permanent number.
Formula One driver numbers
Permanent numbers
The following lists all Formula One driver numbers which were claimed as permanent career numbers since 2014.
| No. | Driver | 2026 team | First used | Last used |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reserved for champion | 2014 | active | |
| 2 | Stoffel Vandoorne | — | 2017 | 2018 |
| Logan Sargeant | — | 2023 | 2024 | |
| 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | — | 2014 | 2024 |
| 4 | Max Chilton | — | 2014 | 2014 |
| Lando Norris | McLaren | 2019 | 2025 | |
| 5 | Sebastian Vettel | — | 2015 | 2022 |
| Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | 2025 | active | |
| 6 | Nico Rosberg | — | 2014 | 2016 |
| Nicholas Latifi | — | 2020 | 2022 | |
| Isack Hadjar | Red Bull Racing | 2025 | active | |
| 7 | Kimi Räikkönen | — | 2014 | 2021 |
| Jack Doohan | — | 2025 | 2025 | |
| 8 | Romain Grosjean | — | 2014 | 2020 |
| 9 | Marcus Ericsson | — | 2014 | 2018 |
| Nikita Mazepin | — | 2021 | 2021 | |
| 10 | Kamui Kobayashi | — | 2014 | 2014 |
| Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 2017 | active | |
| 11 | Sergio Pérez | Cadillac | 2014 | active |
| 12 | Felipe Nasr | — | 2015 | 2016 |
| Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 2025 | active | |
| 13 | Pastor Maldonado | — | 2014 | 2015 |
| 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 2014 | active |
| 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 2018 | active |
| 17 | Jules Bianchi | — | 2014 | 2014 |
| 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 2017 | active |
| 19 | Felipe Massa | — | 2014 | 2017 |
| 20 | Kevin Magnussen | — | 2014 | 2024 |
| 21 | Esteban Gutiérrez | — | 2014 | 2016 |
| Nyck de Vries | — | 2023 | 2023 | |
| 22 | Jenson Button | — | 2014 | 2017 |
| Yuki Tsunoda | — | 2021 | 2025 | |
| 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 2019 | active |
| 24 | Zhou Guanyu | — | 2022 | 2024 |
| 25 | Jean-Éric Vergne | — | 2014 | 2014 |
| 26 | Daniil Kvyat | — | 2014 | 2020 |
| 27 | Nico Hülkenberg | Audi | 2014 | active |
| 28 | Will Stevens | — | 2015 | 2015 |
| Brendon Hartley | — | 2017 | 2018 | |
| 30 | Jolyon Palmer | — | 2016 | 2017 |
| Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 2024 | active | |
| 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | 2016 | active |
| 33 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 2015 | active |
| 35 | Sergey Sirotkin | — | 2018 | 2018 |
| 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 2024 | active |
| 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 2014 | active |
| 47 | Mick Schumacher | — | 2021 | 2022 |
| 53 | Alexander Rossi | — | 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 | — | 2016 | 2016 |
| Robert Kubica | — | 2019 | 2021 | |
| 89 | Jack Aitken | — | 2020 | 2020 |
| 94 | Pascal Wehrlein | — | 2016 | 2017 |
| 98 | Roberto Merhi | — | 2015 | 2015 |
| 99 | Adrian Sutil | — | 2014 | 2014 |
| Antonio Giovinazzi | — | 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 2014, but not for the main Grand Prix races: once for a practice session during the Belgian Grand Prix where he was supposed to replace Max Chilton before his team (Marussia) reinstated Chilton, and once for the Russian Grand Prix as substitute for Jules Bianchi, before his team ultimately chose not to run a second car alongside Chilton.
| No. | Driver | Team | Grand Prix Participated | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | Antonio Giovinazzi | Sauber | 2017 Australian Grand Prix 2017 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 Prix 2023 Italian Grand Prix 2023 Singapore Grand Prix 2023 Japanese Grand Prix 2023 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 Prix 2024 São Paulo Grand Prix | |
| 51 | Pietro Fittipaldi | Haas | 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix 2020 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 will use number 1 in 2026 following his title win in 2025.
| Driver | Team | First used | Last used |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull Racing | 2014 | 2014 |
| Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 2022 | 2025 |
| Lando Norris | McLaren | 2026 | Active |
| Source: | |||
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