[zenren]

With permanent numbers for drivers approved for 2014, all drivers would need to pick their numbers. Thought of starting a discussion on which numbers the front runners might pick based on their experience so far.

As per the proposal, driver who finished higher in the current year's championship gets priority over someone who finished lower if both want the same number.

Looking at the F1 performances of the current top guys under various numbers, I'm putting down some guesses in terms of how some numbers might be .

Vettel - He'll drive car #1.

Alonso - He might pick #5 since that was his number during his first championship win in 2005 and the close 2nd in 2012.

Raikkonen - #6 looks likely - His 2007 win and his close 2nd in 2003 both came with #6.

Hamilton - #22 gifted him the 2008 championship with a lot of luck going his way in the final lap.

Button - Again a possible contender for #22 having won his 2009 championship with this number. With Lewis getting the first chance, he might settle for #4 or #9 if they are available for him.

Massa - His feelings for #2 remains to be seen - he missed out the 2008 championship with all the luck going away from him in the last lap. However, that was his best season too.

Any other numbers that the next year's lineup might be interested in?

[anachronix]

I read in one of the TSN Forums that Alonso has opted for No.14 and Kimi for No.69. Dont know if this is a reliable source!

[zenren]

Originally Posted by anachronix

I read in one of the TSN Forums that Alonso has opted for No.14 and Kimi for No.69. Dont know if this is a reliable source!

Apart from the #6, #9 was the other car number where Kimi performed well in his career with a 2nd in 2005 and 3rd in 2012. So 69 for Kimi makes sense. It will also help him retain the number since single digit numbers could be chosen by others in subsequent years too.

Any idea if Alonso drove #14 at any time during his pre-F1 racing career?

[Hatari]

Originally Posted by anachronix

I read in one of the TSN Forums that Alonso has opted for No.14 and Kimi for No.69. Dont know if this is a reliable source!

Originally Posted by zenren

Apart from the #6, #9 was the other car number where Kimi performed well in his career with a 2nd in 2005 and 3rd in 2012. So 69 for Kimi makes sense. It will also help him retain the number since single digit numbers could be chosen by others in subsequent years too.

Any idea if Alonso drove #14 at any time during his pre-F1 racing career?

Alonso won his 1st Kart championship with #14. No news yet of his choosing the number

[zenren]

Autosport reports that Rosberg's choices are 6, 5 and 9 in that order while Perez wants 11. (source)

As per the article, even Vettel needs to pick a number to be used throughout his career now, though he need not use till he loses a championship.

They haven't mentioned any other choices as of now and looking at their track record, I don't think any other driver actually requested a specific number yet.

Vettel and Alonso both got their first title with #5. I'd be surprised if that number would still be available after they both make their choices.

[negativeH]

Massa has asked for #19, posted on Twitter



Kimi might go for #6 since it was his number during the 03 and 07 season, or he might just say shut up and give me anything.

[zenren]

Originally Posted by negativeH

Kimi might go for #6 since it was his number during the 03 and 07 season

If we look at the statistics like the cricket commentators do (best performance by a player batting at no.X for team A against team B at ground G...) then Kimi has 100% success rate of WDC when driving a Ferrari car with #6 so far

BTW, it is interesting to note that even with the existing number allocation policy, Kimi would have actually got car #6 next year since Ferrari finished third in 2013 constructors and Alonso finished ahead of Kimi.

[zenren]

Any idea who will get priority if Magnussen, Kvyat and Sirotkin want the same number? Proposal/rule says order as per last year's driver's standings but none of them competed this year and hence do not have any order!

[Hatari]

Originally Posted by zenren

Any idea who will get priority if Magnussen, Kvyat and Sirotkin want the same number? Proposal/rule says order as per last year's driver's standings but none of them competed this year and hence do not have any order!

I think its in the order their team finished in the Constructors.

[anachronix]

Nando's 2014 helmet, his number and he has gone more Ferrari this time with theme for 2014. Hope it brings him more fortunes too

Source: Alonso's FB page

[selvagp]

Report says Kimi opted for 7.
http://grandprix247.com/2013/12/16/r...of-his-career/

[selvagp]

@Mods: Could you merge this to the previous post.

On a lighter note, planetf1 suggests drivers for their choice of numbers. Funny read.

Kimi Raikkonen - 99
His favourite ice cream

Felipe Massa - 2
The world's longest-serving No.2 driver

Source: http://www.planetf1.com/off-on-f1/90...rs-For-Drivers

[rakeshnair14]

Fernando Alonso requests for no .14. According to him it has been his lucky number since 1996, when, while he was 14, on July 14 and with kart number 14 he won the world championship.

Since then he always has used 14. Hopefully it should turn lucky for him next year.

Alonso's new team-mate Kimi Raikkonen has chosen #7, while his former team-mate Felipe Massa will use #19 at Williams. His team-mate Valtteri Bottas has chosen #77.
Other drivers who have revealed the numbers they want include Nico Rosberg (#6, #5 or #8), Sergio Perez (#11), Jean-Eric Vergne (#21, #25 or #27).

[selvagp]

FIA has announced the 2014 entry list.

Lotus seems to have the unlucky numbers in my opinion.
Roman Gorsjean - 8
don't know why but is considered a unlucky number, There is a separate thread that discusses the fact Tamilnadu RTO has banned the summation of any registration number being 8.
Pastor Maldonodo - 13
Do I need say more?
And doomsday oops, Lotus misses the first testing.
Source: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/112089

[zenren]

Legendary 27 gets picked up by Hulkenberg.

Vettel chooses 5 and Button takes 22, the numbers that they won their first championship with.

Here is the list so far as published in Autosport:

# Driver
1 Sebastian Vettel
3 Daniel Ricciardo
6 Nico Rosberg
7 Kimi Raikkonen
8 Romain Grosjean
11 Sergio Perez
13 Pastor Maldonado
14 Fernando Alonso
17 Jules Bianchi
19 Felipe Massa
20 Kevin Magnussen
21 Esteban Gutierrez
22 Jenson Button
25 Jean-Eric Vergne
26 Daniil Kvyat
27 Nico Hulkenberg
44 Lewis Hamilton
77 Valtteri Bottas
99 Adrian Sutil