Car numbers for 2008

[Safeman89]

Will the fact that McLaren weren't given any constructors points mean that they will have to carry numbers 22 and 23 next season?

On the same matter, and if this does happen, there will some teams with unfamiliar numbers next season, especially BMW numbers 3 and 4, Red Bull 9 and 10, after becoming synonymous with 14 and 15, which will be taken by Toro Rosso, and Honda 16 and 17.

And I'm guessing Prodrive will be 24 and 25

[OmarF1]

Will the fact that McLaren weren't given any constructors points mean that they will have to carry numbers 22 and 23 next season?

On the same matter, and if this does happen, there will some teams with unfamiliar numbers next season, especially BMW numbers 3 and 4, Red Bull 9 and 10, after becoming synonymous with 14 and 15, which will be taken by Toro Rosso, and Honda 16 and 17.

And I'm guessing Prodrive will be 24 and 25

Yes sir, you are right, since McLaren was disqualified from the Constructors' championship will have 22 & 23, with or without Prodrive on the grid.

and yes, BMW will have 3 & 4 quite rare for a team that used to be considered the best of the worst, Sauber there was times that they were only better than Jordan and Minardi, but they used to score more points than both of those teams.

but this makes me wonder the duality of numbers on F1, some teams dream to have the number 1 on their noses, but nobody cheers and says hey we have 3 & 4 on our cars, so numbers care only when you win I guess, otherwise they are unsignificant, anyway you can barely see them they are pretty small..

[DazzlaF1]

And I'm guessing Prodrive will be 24 and 25

well presuming they manage to make it

[ChrisS]

OT but can Toro Rosso/Vettel/Bourdais request #13?

[Rollo]

OT? Asking about car numbers IN a topic about car numbers? Very much on-topic :D

I think they could ask for 13 if they wanted. Superstition probably stops them.

If I was McLaren, I wonder if asking for 27 and 28 would be appropriate. Traditionally 27 & 28 were of the side of Ferraris and with Stepneygate... :D

[wmcot]

It's often a bit weird that the WDC takes the number 1 with him when he changes teams. MS took "1" to Ferrari in 1996 and FA to "1" to McLaren in 2007. Neither team had "earned" the number except by hiring the driver that had earned it.

Perhaps it's time to change the way numbers are distributed. I think the number should either go with the constructor or the driver, but not a mixture. After all, does anyone need to look for the car with the "1" on it to remember who the WDC was last year?

[Mark]

The strangest number 1 was probably when Arrows had it in 1997.

[hmmm - donuts]

anyway you can barely see them they are pretty small..


Good point - the numbers are all but impossible to see these days, and when some team-mates wear similar helmets it can be difficult to tell the cars apart. Even to the point where TV commentators, who are presumably at least reasonably clued up, sometimes struggle. How about a return to large legible numbers on a plain background? - Or will it never happen as it would mean less advertising space to sell?

[philipbain]

FYI Ferrari ran numbers 27 & 28 between 1981 - 1989 inclusive as Prost took the #1 to Ferrari in '90, McLaren swapping to 27 & 28 for the 1990 season, then Senna took the 1990 title thus giving Ferrari thier 27 & 28 back and thus it remained until the whole numbering system was rationalised in the mid 90s .Tyrell for example always ran 3&4 as a legacy of thier glory years as the numbers were originally dealt out after the 1973 season, hence Tyrell ran 0 & 2 in 1974 and then swapped to 3&4 for 1975, as they never won the title after '73 they kept those numbers until the mid 90s.

[V12]

IMO they should go back to their old system of teams keeping the same numbers but the team with the champion driver swapping numbers with the outgoing 1 & 2 if needs be - worked for 22 years and strikes a good balance between recognising the champion and teams become synonymous with their numbers like Ferrari's 27 & 28, even Minardi's 23/24, Ligier's 25/26 and so on...

[V12]

FYI Ferrari ran numbers 27 & 28 between 1981 - 1989 inclusive as Prost took the #1 to Ferrari in '90, McLaren swapping to 27 & 28 for the 1990 season, then Senna took the 1990 title thus giving Ferrari thier 27 & 28 back and thus it remained until the whole numbering system was rationalised in the mid 90s .Tyrell for example always ran 3&4 as a legacy of thier glory years as the numbers were originally dealt out after the 1973 season, hence Tyrell ran 0 & 2 in 1974 and then swapped to 3&4 for 1975, as they never won the title after '73 they kept those numbers until the mid 90s.

Actually Tyrrell had 3 & 4 in 1974, after Stewart's retirement the numbers were dealt out purely by 1973 Constructors standings, which Lotus won so Peterson had 1 despite not being reigning champion with Ickx #2.

They actually tried to bring the old system back for 2002 come to think of it, but Sauber, who finished fourth in 2001, started to moan about keeping 16 and 17 when they "deserved" to have 7 and 8, and the FIA relented.

[tinchote]

FYI Ferrari ran numbers 27 & 28 between 1981 - 1989 inclusive as Prost took the #1 to Ferrari in '90, McLaren swapping to 27 & 28 for the 1990 season, then Senna took the 1990 title thus giving Ferrari thier 27 & 28 back and thus it remained until the whole numbering system was rationalised in the mid 90s .Tyrell for example always ran 3&4 as a legacy of thier glory years as the numbers were originally dealt out after the 1973 season, hence Tyrell ran 0 & 2 in 1974 and then swapped to 3&4 for 1975, as they never won the title after '73 they kept those numbers until the mid 90s.

I would only add that Ferrari got 27 and 28 from Williams, after Alan Jones won in 1980.

[pino]

OT? Asking about car numbers IN a topic about car numbers? Very much on-topic :D

I think they could ask for 13 if they wanted. Superstition probably stops them.



Noway, 13 in Italy is a lucky number ;)