F1 numbering system.

Grimlock

As you know F1 like most motorsports awards the number 1 to the driver / car who won the previous years championship.

I'm just wondering if Alsono were to win this years championship, when he moves to Mclaren next year does he take the number 1 with him or does that stay witht eh first choice Renault car? Or do neither get it since it was a combo of great driver + competitive reliable car?

Just wondering.....

class1comp

That situation has happened.
The number goes with the driver
I am not sure but did Michael bring #1 when he moved from Benetton to Ferrari. I think it happened in ancient times as well

donspeekinglesh

Yes, the reigning champion carries the number 1. Doesn't matter what team he races for. If he's not racing the winning constructor team carries #0 and #2.

aidan_dunne

Yes, the champion driver brings the number 1 with him even if he moves to another team. This was the case, for example, in 1996 when the Ferrari of Michael Schumacher carried the number 1 even though he won the championship the previous year driving for Benetton. After the champion and his teammate's number (#1 and #2), the cars are numbered down the line according to the finishing positions in the Constructor's Championship the previous year. If though, for example, the champion driver's team also happened to win the Constructor's Championship that year and he then moved to a different team the following year, the winning Constructors would carry the numbers 3 and 4 on their car.

This, for example, was the case in 1996 when Michael Schumacher and the Benetton team won both championships together the previous year. Michael moved to Ferrari for 1996 as reigning champion so the Ferrari's that year carried the numbers 1 and 2 and the Benetton's carried the numbers 3 and 4 because they were reigning Constructor's Champions. Therefore, following on from that logic, if Alonso and Renault were to win both championships again this year, Alonso's McLaren next year would carry the number 1 and his teammate the number 2, but the Renault's would carry the number's 3 and 4. The other teams would then be numbered according to their finishing positions in the Constructor's Championship at the end of this season.

donspeekinglesh wrote:

Yes, the reigning champion carries the number 1. Doesn't matter what team he races for. If he's not racing the winning constructor team carries #0 and #2

As was demonstrated in 1993 and 1994 when the Williams cars carried numbers 0 and 2 because the driver's champions from each of the previous years were not driving in F1 (1992 champion, Nigel Mansell, left Williams to go racing in Indycar in America and 1993 champion, Alain Prost, retired).

However, the current system of numbering cars by their finishing order in the previous year's Constructor's Championship wasn't always in place. I think it only really became official in about 1996 or 1997 or so. Previous to that we often saw drivers or teams being allowed to carry particular numbers which were sentimental or had a particular special meaning to them even if it wasn't their official finishing place in the Constructor's Championship. Such examples were Nigel Mansell and his famous "Red 5" number when he drove for Williams, Ferrari carrying the number 27 (synonomous with Gilles Villeneuve) and Tyrrell carrying the numbers 3 and 4 (not sure why they did that. Maybe someone else here knows and could tell us. Was it something to do with Francois Cevert perhaps? )

molateen

Didnt Damon Hill bring the number 1 to arrows ?

Ay Cee

Didn't the FIA try to change it there a coupe of years ago? Only the winning drivers/ team number would change. The other teams would be stuck with the same numbers for good.

The teams went mad because they said they would lose out on millions because of merchadising. i.e. sell ye the same gear/ model car next year except with a differnet number on it :rolleyes:

stever

before 1995 each driver or team kept the same no. from year to year except the world champion, who got no.1.
The FIA tried to change back to a system like this in 2002 but Sauber especially objected to that because the number he was given didn't reflect their position in 2001 so it wasn't changed.
I think the only actual rule about numbering is that the champion gets no. 1