Who uses what number and why?

In Components 1 all drivers use a set race quantity. The championship launched this idea in 2014 to extend the popularity of the drivers on the observe for the followers. In earlier years, the beginning numbers had been handed out primarily based on the ultimate rating of the constructors’ championship from the prior season.

Now solely the reigning world champion can select to alter his quantity for the season: he could substitute it with the #1. All different drivers should stick with their chosen quantity. 

Behind every selection is a narrative. It might be a driver’s ‘fortunate’ quantity or they’ve particular reminiscences of the quantity.

Listed here are all the motive force numbers for the 2025 F1 season and the reasons behind them.

F1 driver race numbers in 2025

Will Max Verstappen drive with race number one in 2025?

The reigning four-time world champion Max Verstappen will hold the #1 for the 2025 F1 season.

Following his maiden title in 2021, the Crimson Bull driver switched from his typical #33 to #1 for 2022 – and that has remained ever since, as he is received the three championships since.

“How usually do you get the possibility to drive with beginning number one in your Components 1 profession? You by no means know,” Verstappen stated.

“I can all the time return to quantity 33 if I’m now not world champion. However so long as I’m world champion, I’ll use number one each single yr.”

Sebastian Vettel was the final driver to make use of the #1 in 2014. In subsequent years, the title went to Lewis Hamilton on six events, who caught with #44, or to Nico Rosberg. The German retired instantly after his world title and subsequently no driver may use the #1 in 2017.

Why did Max Verstappen choose #33?

Within the years earlier than his first world title Verstappen drove in F1 with #33. The story behind this selection is kind of easy: in his youth the Dutchman had the #3 as a fortunate quantity. He wished to make use of it in F1, however the quantity was already taken by Daniel Ricciardo, so Verstappen then selected to make use of #33 “for double happiness”. 

“As a child I raced round with this quantity, so I assumed it could be enjoyable to make use of #33 in Components 1 as properly,” he defined on social media, accompanying a photograph of an electrical toy automobile he drove across the household’s backyard.

At different occasions in his profession he has additionally pushed with a #3, whereas within the European Components 3 Championship, the Dutchman raced as #30 and on his debut for Toro Rosso he used #38.

F1 drivers’ numbers for 2025 and the story behind their selection

Lando Norris races with the #4 on his McLaren, explaining: “The story is that there is no such thing as a story. It matches properly with the hashtag #L4ndo, nevertheless it’s not a quantity I’ve utilized in all racing lessons.” Norris is an enormous fan of MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi and thought of utilizing his #46, however stated he did not need to be a ‘copycat’ so opted for the #4.

Gabriel Bortoleto will contest his rookie marketing campaign in F1 with #5 for Sauber, a quantity he additionally used throughout his 2023 Components 3 championship-winning season. Fellow rookie Isack Hadjar will use #6 for Racing Bulls, a quantity he raced with in karts.

There are lots of rookies on the F1 grid this yr, one in every of which is Jack Doohan for Alpine. The Australian will use #7, having first lodged a request to run with #12 after being instructed it was obtainable, nevertheless it subsequently emerged that Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli had taken it. 

So, Doohan opted for #7 as a result of he “wished to go along with a quantity that I raced with earlier than. One thing that had which means for me. I raced with quantity seven in 2019. And in addition one in every of my idols, a brilliant particular particular person and driver, Kimi Raikkonen, additionally drove with that quantity”.

It’s the first time #7 has been obtainable since Raikkonen left the sequence on the finish of 2021. It is because numbers can solely be reused as soon as a driver who beforehand had that particular quantity has been out of F1 for at the very least two seasons. 

Kimi Raikkonen, Alfa Romeo Racing C41

Picture by: Jerry Andre / Motorsport Photographs

Antonelli’s choice for #12 in the meantime, was prompted by its hyperlink to his hero Ayrton Senna, the Brazilian who used it from 1985 by way of to his maiden title-winning 1988 season. 

Elsewhere, Pierre Gasly has #10. The Frenchman received the 2013 Components Renault 2.0 Eurocup with that quantity and in addition idolises footballing legend Zinedine Zidane, who wore #10 when taking part in for France.

Fernando Alonso makes use of #14. On 14 July 1999, on the age of 14, he turned world champion in karting with #14. “From that second I knew #14 was my quantity,” he stated.

Charles Leclerc competes in F1 with the #16. The Ferrari driver was born on 16 October 1997. His choice was initially for the fortunate quantity seven, however that was already taken by Kimi Raikkonen on the time. Subsequent, Leclerc wished #10 however that belong to Gasly so after some easy maths, he selected #16 “as a result of one plus six is seven,” he defined.

Lance Stroll has fitted his Aston Martin with #18. Within the early days of his profession he received the Italian Components 4 Championship with this race quantity. After which shortly after his 18th birthday, he made his F1 debut with Williams. “A bit superstitious, however I like to carry on to little issues which can be vital to me. I do not need to change them,” he stated.

Yuki Tsunoda opted for #22 in F1. The Japanese had #11 in his early karting days and wished to make use of it in F1 as properly, however that was already occupied by Sergio Perez, who left the sequence on the finish of 2024. Tsunoda merely doubled the quantity leading to #22.

Alex Albon has caught with #23, which he additionally used within the first section of his F1 profession. Like Norris, Albon is an enormous Rossi fan and in his karting days the Thai-Briton raced along with his #46, however determined to go for half of that quantity in F1.

When Nico Hulkenberg returned to F1 full-time in 2023, he started reusing the #27 that he had within the early levels of his profession. The quantity is already pretty well-known in F1 having been utilized by six-time grand prix winner Gilles Villeneuve, in addition to often by a handful of different stars together with Ayrton Senna and Jean Alesi. However, the German’s alleged motive behind selecting #27 isn’t associated to that in any respect, as it’s the date and month of his birthday added collectively: 19 August.

For Liam Lawson’s first, full season within the sequence his Crimson Bull shall be branded with #30. The New Zealander used stated quantity for a big a part of his junior profession, together with his time in Components First and DTM. 

Esteban Ocon has #31, which he used when he claimed his first karting title in 2007 – a yr that he nonetheless considers as top-of-the-line in his profession. In 2014, Ocon additionally used #31 for his F1 take a look at debut in a Lotus.

Hamilton races with #44. The seven-time world champion drove his first kart race with #44, however did not know what race quantity to decide on in 2014 so he took the quantity from the licence plate of his father’s automobile: F44. With that quantity he laid the muse for his profitable profession and subsequently wished to make use of it in F1. Even within the years when he was entitled to race with #1 as world champion, the Briton caught to his #44.

Carlos Sainz drives with #55, explaining that “the S of my first title is sort of a 5 and so is the S of my final title, in order that makes #55”. His favorite quantity is definitely 5, however that was already taken by Vettel on the time – so with this self-invented phrase sport he reached #55.

George Russell makes use of #63, saying that “my brother used to kart with the quantity 63, so this has develop into our household quantity ever since”.

Oscar Piastri selected #81 in F1, having used the quantity sporadically in his junior profession. Beginning with #11 whereas karting in Australia, Piastri switched to #81 as a rival already had his earlier race quantity. When he began racing in Europe, he used varied numbers however returned to #81 when competing in each British F4 and the Components Renault Northern European Cup. 

Lastly, new Haas driver Oliver Bearman will use the best quantity on the F1 grid choosing #87. The 19-year-old stated: “It’s the quantity that I raced because the starting and it is the quantity that my dad raced with – as a result of I am born on the 8 Could, and my brother on the 7 August.”

Which race numbers can’t be utilized in F1?

F1 drivers can’t choose #17. Jules Bianchi was utilizing this quantity when he crashed at Suzuka throughout the 2014 Japanese GP and the accidents he sustained from it finally killed him 9 months later. As a tribute, F1 determined to withdraw #17. 

How lengthy is a driver entitled to an F1 beginning quantity?

A driver who leaves F1 can nonetheless use his previous quantity for as much as two years in case of a attainable comeback. Throughout this era the quantity can’t be utilized by one other driver. For instance, Alonso selected #14 once more when he returned to F1 in 2021 after leaving on the finish of 2018, with Albon and Hulkenberg additionally selecting #23 and #27 respectively once they got a second probability in F1.

These beginning numbers can’t be utilized in 2024