Decoding the 2024 F1 Driver Race Numbers: Unveiling the Choices and Reasons

All Formula One drivers  choose a permanent Race number with which they race throughout their racing carrer. In F1, only the reigning champion is allowed to change the number. 

Behind every chosen number there is a story. It could be the drivers’ lucky numbers or they have a special stoy behind the numbers. 

As the 2024 F1 Season is around the corner, let’s uncover the choices and reason behind their choices. 

Max Verstappen#1:
The reigning champion Verstappen will drivers with #1 for the 2024 formula 1 one season. After winning his first F1 championship in 2021 in Abu Dhabi, the Dutch driver announced thet he will change his usual #33 to #1. And till now he is oped stay with that #1 number saying that ” How often do you get the chance to drive with number #1 in your F1 carrer?  You never knew”Previously the Dutch man used #33 stating that in his younger year’s 3 was his lucky number. He wanted to use in F1 but it was already taken By Daniel Ricciardo so he instead chose to use #33

Lewis Hamilton #44:

Since the rule for drivers to race with a fixed number was introduced, Lewis Hamilton has worn 44 on his Mercedes. This number holds special memories for Hamilton as when he was a child, his father bought him a go-kart and they had to give it a number. His father’s car’s number plate started with ‘F44’, and hence, the same number was given to the go-kart, and now, to his race car in F1.

George Russell #63:

George Russell revealed that 63 has been his brother’s race number when he started karting at a local kart centre. Hence, it has been the family number ever since.

Logan Sargeant #2 :
Logan Sargeant uses #2 and ahead of his rookie season in 2023, he said: “I used to run it in Formula Renault, and I had a pretty good season that year. Number three is my number, but that’s taken so I figured why not take a winning number from the past and run with it in F1?”

Daniel Ricciardo #3:
Daniel Ricciardo #3: Daniel Ricciardo chose #3 as his racing number since it was his first ever number in karting, and also because he is a fan of Reason for #3 is it was my first ever number in karting and I was also a fan of American professional stock car driver Dale Earnhardt.

Carlos Sainz #55: 
Carlos Sainz wanted number 5 when he entered Formula 1, but Sebastian Vettel was already using it. Hence, the Spaniard put two fives together, making 55, which he still races with today.

Sergio Perez #11:
The number comes from one of his childhood heroes, Ivan Zamorano, who wore #11 number on his shirt in his final season playing for Perez’s favourite football team, Club America.

Charles Leclerc #16:
 Charles Leclerc revealed that he originally wanted number seven, however, it was occupied by Kimi Raikonnen at the time. Hence, he settled for #16 as one plus six equals seven. Also, his birthday is on October 16.”Not a very interesting story,” said Leclerc revealing the reason behind his race number in F1.

Lando Norris #4: 
Lando Norris had revealed that #11 and #31 were the two numbers that he had in Formula Renault, Formula 3, Formula 4. Both of them were taken by the time the Briton got into Formula 1. Hence, he chose number 4 since it fit “very nicely” into his logo.

Oscar Piastri #81: 
81 was the number that Oscar Piastri used while go-karting. “I had to pick a number for my first race and the kart shop I went to only had these numbers in stock, and it had to be a one or two digit number,” said Piastri.

Fernando Alonso #14: 
“When I was 14 years old, the 14th of July, and with the go kart number 14, I was world champion. From that moment I had no doubt that 14 is my number,” said Alonso, talking about the reason he uses this number in F1.

Lance Stroll #18:

Lance Stroll enjoyed success racing with the number 18 in his karting days. The Canadian driver revealed that he’s a bit superstitious, and hence, has no plans to change his racing number.

Esteban Ocon #31:
 The French racer revealed that he used number 31 during his karting days, and wants to stick with the same number. “In 2007, when I won the [Championnat de France karting] championship, I had the number 31,” said Ocon. “It’s still my most successful year to date. That’s why I will go 31 for the rest of my career.”

Yuki Tsunoda #22:

Yuki Tsunoda came into Formula 1 hoping to race with the number 11, but with Perez already making use of it, the Japanese driver decided to double 11 to get his new race number, while also paying his respects to 2009 F1 world champion Jenson Button.

Valtteri Bottas #77:

Valtteri Bottas initially wanted to pick number 7, but later decided to go with 77, thinking that it could be incorporated into a logo design, although he admits that didn’t quite go as per plan.

Zhou Guanyu #24: The Alfa Romeo driver chose number 24 on his car as a tribute to childhood hero and late NBA icon Kobe Bryant. “Kobe Bryant was a big inspiration to me when I was more interested in basketball than motorsports,” Zhou revealed
Nico Hulkenberg #27: Nico Hulkenberg’s reason behind racing with the number 27 is because it is the date and month of his birthday [August 19] added together.

Kevin Magnussen #20:

Kevin Magnussen races with the number 20 on his race car, having used the number when he won the 2013 Formula Renault 3.5 Series title, just a year before his podium-sealing debut Grand Prix with McLaren.

Pierre Gasly #10:

Pierre Gasly said that he raced with the number 10 in 2013 when he became Formula Renault European champion, which is one of the reasons for choosing the number. Also, he’s a big fan of Zinedine Zidane, who wore number 10 for the French national football team.

Alex Albon #23:

Alex Albon races with the number 23, famously worn by basketball legends Michael Jordan and Lebron James. The Thai-British driver raced with 46 on his kart in his junior days, as a tribute to childhood hero – MotoGP icon Valentino Rossi, but he decided to halve the number upon coming into Formula 1.