Car Numbers

[FW17]

The numbers game
March 23, 2011 by joesaward
The word on the rues of Paris at the moment is that the FIA may be planning an interesting new tweak for Formula 1, with teams being sold their numbers, rather than being allotted them, based on their position in the World Championship in the previous season. This makes a lot of sense for a number of different reasons. Firstly, it will give the fans and TV viewers an easier job of identifying cars, as the numbers will take on more relevance in terms of marketing and thus be given a bigger space on the car. In the United States of America a sportsman’s number is used as part of the marketing around the athlete: one thinks of obvious examples, such as Richard Petty’s 43, Dale Earnhardt Sr’s number 3, and more recently Jimmie Johnson’s 48.

The ownership of these numbers is clear enough: the FIA publishes the numbers and thus can decide upon the system of distribution. NASCAR owns and assigns car numbers to a car owner and reserves the right to revoke or transfer car numbers to another owner/team at any time. Car numbers are non-assignable and non-transferable, except by NASCAR and they are rumoured to cost around $125,000 apiece. That would means that the sale of 22 F1 car numbers would present a serious source of income for the federation.

Ferrari 27

Williams 0

[Caito]

Imagine Seb raising 23 fingers...

[ESPImperium]

So historical numbers would look like this:

Williams: 0/2
Ferrari: 27/28
McLaren: 7/8
Renault: 15/16
Sauber: 29/30 **OR** 16/17
Toro Rosso: 20/21 **OR** 23/24 (using old Minardi numbers???)
Team Lotus: 11/12
Force India: 14/15 (Using the old Jordan numbers)

Some drivers would have some unique numbers as well, like Schumacher probably wanting number 1.

[pob]

Wouldn't Williams be 5/6, rather than 0/2?

[Tozza Mazza]

This would be brilliant, although there may be a small war, due to sentimental value. Would teams need two consecutive numbers? I imagine the world championship team will get a number 1 and then another 'allotted number'.
Would Ferrari take 27/28 or 11/12.
Who would take Tyrells 3/4 or Ligiers 25/26?
I would REALLY love the numbers based on teams to return, it seems more, historical.
If it was in place in 2011 - due to team sales etc... the grid would look like this.
1 - Vettel
2 - Webber
3 - Schumacher (Mercedes are technically descendants from Tyrell)
4 - Rosberg
5 - Barrichello
6 - Maldonaldo
7 - Hamilton
8 - Button
9 - Karthikeyan (the 9/10 trace died with Footwork - which became arrows and is now bust, so i gave it to the highest new team that's not Team Lotus)
10 - Liuzzi
11 - Kovaleinen
12 - Trulli
14 - Sutil
15 - Di Resta
16 - Heidfeld (i know renault had 15-16 but due to no use of number 13, they lose out a bit)
17 - Petrov
19 - Glock (no line of descent)
20 - D'Ambrosio
23 - Buemi (via Minardi Numbers)
24 - Alguesari
25/26 - Possibly would be used by renault as a homage to Ligiers frenchness?
27 - Alonso (obvious, although ferrari did use 11-12 before villeneuve came along)
28 - Massa
29 - Kobayashi
30 - Perez

That's all i got? misssed anyone?!?!

[ESPImperium]

Id recon that id give Renault the nod over Force India for the 15/16 numbers.

However, you could eventually be down to seeing teams with 36/83 for instance.

[feni_remmen]

This sounds great as I was quite disappointing when the FIA changed from the old system. I like the old system, where your numbers stay the same unless your get the number 1. It was great that Tyrrell had been stuck with 3 and 4 since 1974... And the way you could follow Ferrari's number swapping with Lotus and McLaren.

If we are going to talk about correct numbers, the natural numbers for Williams are 5&6, certainly not 0&2...

Unfortunately the numbers we most associate with Ferrari and Lotus - 27,28 & 11,12 are due to their relative failures rather than success. McLaren had one season each with those 4 numbers, then won the championship immediately to get back the number 1 & 2.

The situation the same with Ligier or Tyrrell, they got stuck with their numbers, because they couldn't escape...

All that being said, I think the current system is probably the correct system for an apparent sporting contest. Now the old tradition is dead, I'd prefer to keep the current arrangement.

[Sean H]

I say sell the rights to the numbers in a silect auction. Profits go to charity (Ha!) or to some safety foundation.

World Champion still has the rights to #1 if so desired.

[PlatinumZealot]

I would like it if the drivers select their own numbers. The stipulation being that the driver position higher in the previous season's standings has more right to the number he wants.
This is for all numbers except 1 and zero. The number 1 can only be had by the reigning world champion. As soon as the championship is won by another driver the number immediately carries over to the winner.

A driver can keep his number for the rest of his career, the exception being if another driver desires that number and he beats the former driver in the standings. The numbers can be any number up to 999.

[CyleB]

I would like it if the drivers select their own numbers. The stipulation being that the driver position higher in the previous season's standings has more right to the number he wants.
This is for all numbers except 1 and zero. The number 1 can only be had by the reigning world champion. As soon as the championship is won by another driver the number immediately carries over to the winner.

A driver can keep his number for the rest of his career, the exception being if another driver desires that number and he beats the former driver in the standings. The numbers can be any number up to 999.

agreed

[jddh1]

If Valentino Rossi can run 46 even as World Champion, I don't see why we can't let drivers have their own numbers. (Although I would like the WC to run the number 1 plate, like Lorenzo did this year, switching from 99 to 1.) It's also very cool that Hayden runs the 69 plate. . Merchandising would be easier too.

[CyleB]

Maybe the WC could have a distinct shape or color around their number, like in super cross where the defending champ can run the red number 1 or their own number in red

[mx_tifoso]

Keep the current system. Driver specific numbers remind me too much of NASCAR.

Although this proposal is just another step towards simplifying (dumbing down?) this series. If people can't understand how the current number system works then ----. (I just censored myself hehe).

[ajprice]

Personal thing but I'd like to see the teams have set numbers. Ferrari's should be numbers 27 and 28, McLaren 7 and 8 for starters. Not sure about Williams... 0 and 2 just ran for Damon Hill in '93 and'94, would 5 and 6 be going back to 'Our Nige' .