Formula 1 teams pushing for permanent numbers for drivers

[Trocola]

It was a problem for me, Different logos different numbers, started watching Moto gp last year only just realised Rossi and Lorenzo were teammates during the championship fight this year, different colours different logos it doesn't make sense to me. Off topic but I had to say it. F1 has the numbers right imo. We should recognise drivers by there helmets, the numbers belong to the teams and how well they are doing, and number 1 to the champion.

It is just the opposite for me.

A few years back in F1, race direction messages during races were showed only with the driver number (driver 12 under investigation). And who is driver 12? No idea. You had to connect to the internet and see which driver had that number. Today, race direction gives the number and the name of the driver, because just the number was useless (unless the numbers are 1 and 2)

In MotoGP you don't have that problem. If race direction says the number 46, everybody knows it is Rossi. 26, Pedrosa; 99, Lorenzo; 19, Bautista; 69, Hayden... It is much easier to assign one number to the same driver during his career on MotoGP

[SectorOne]

Agree 100%.

[Sevach]

All those Rossi supporters with their bright yellow "46" sign agree.

[i70q7m7ghw]

How would they decided the order of the teams in the pit lane?

[CMSMJ1]

It is a silly idea.

[Pup]

I don't see how rearranging the numbers on the grid has any relevance to anything. I'm a McLaren fan, and I have no idea which two numbers they have this year, and couldn't care less. You can't see them on the cars and even if you could you'd still go by the driver helmets which are easier to spot. I'm sure there was a time when numbers were useful, but now they're really nothing more than a holdover from the past.

Keep them, get rid of them, rearrange them - who cares?

[Trocola]

How would they decided the order of the teams in the pit lane?

The same way they do now: the WCC clasification

[Jonnycraig]

Ridiculous idea.

[Manoah2u]

It was a problem for me, Different logos different numbers, started watching Moto gp last year only just realised Rossi and Lorenzo were teammates during the championship fight this year, different colours different logos it doesn't make sense to me. Off topic but I had to say it. F1 has the numbers right imo. We should recognise drivers by there helmets, the numbers belong to the teams and how well they are doing, and number 1 to the champion.

It is just the opposite for me.

A few years back in F1, race direction messages during races were showed only with the driver number (driver 12 under investigation). And who is driver 12? No idea. You had to connect to the internet and see which driver had that number. Today, race direction gives the number and the name of the driver, because just the number was useless (unless the numbers are 1 and 2)

In MotoGP you don't have that problem. If race direction says the number 46, everybody knows it is Rossi. 26, Pedrosa; 99, Lorenzo; 19, Bautista; 69, Hayden... It is much easier to assign one number to the same driver during his career on MotoGP

nonsense, if they'd change to permanent numbers, people wouldn't have a clue either way, it stays just the same.
if you are a 'real' fan, you could know which driver is which number. The rest that doesn't know by memory which number belongs to what driver will just have to sit out and see what happens, it's not like it'll change the race whether they know it or not. Or just indeed look it up on the internet.
Out of courtesy, names are added now, and that's enough not to need any permanent numbers.
It just wouldn't work. It's perfect the way it is now, and surely doesn't have to change.
The numbers are way more honest now.
it's a useless idea.

[SectorOne]

It´s not the same. Numbers stay throughout the years.
It has absolutely no drawbacks compared to a system that is in use today.

I haven´t watched a single NASCAR race in my life and i still know Gordon has number 24.
I watch F1 religiously and i can´t tell what numbers Perez, Maldonado, di Resta has for a number.

Because to find that out i need to remember where Sauber end up last year, then figure out who beat who then remember number 13 is not in use because Formula 1 is superstitious.

[Jonnycraig]

It´s not the same. Numbers stay throughout the years.
It has absolutely no drawbacks compared to a system that is in use today.

I haven´t watched a single NASCAR race in my life and i still know Gordon has number 24.
I watch F1 religiously and i can´t tell what numbers Perez, Maldonado, di Resta has for a number.

Because to find that out i need to remember where Sauber end up last year, then figure out who beat who then remember number 13 is not in use because Formula 1 is superstitious.

With the kindest will in the world, even with permanent numbers, I suspect very few would memorize the numbers of the above named drivers apart from their fans, and their fans would know their numbers under this arrangement.

Equally, I suspect you could quite easily reel off this years numbers of Vettel, Alonso, Hamilton, Raikonnen because they are the most often featured.

[Manoah2u]

So if next year the numbers are permanent,

and a message pops up Drivers 12 and 16 are under investigation you immediately know who they are because
now they are permanent? Offcourse you don't. If you don't know now, you don't know if they'd change it permanently either.
So let's say Perez is number 12 next year. But in 2015, he's out, and Rodolfo Gonzales takes his place.
And next year Guiterrez is number 19 in a sauber. But he goes to a Lotus in 2015 and has number 10.

So in 2015, they say incident involving cars 10 and 12 are under investigation. And you'd immediately know
they're Gonzales and Guitterez? hell no. It's still confusing. At most, you know it's a Force india or a Lotus by
the number. But it'll take atleast 2 seasons to get accostumed to that. And if Force India in the meantime changes
into Telmex F1 then you're just as confused again.
And if you pay any attention during the race, and the replays, you've spotted easily that a white-orange-green force india
went through the curbs cutting corners and the helmet and on=screen display shows it was sutil.

Then a message pops up: driver 15 under investigation: cutting corners. And you know without needing to look it up that it was sutil.

Just as you'd expect Alonso to be under investigation when he was doing a Petrov on the curbs at Abudhabi.

In essence, people don't know because they don't care, are too lazy, or because it doesn't matter anyway.
And indeed, the current system works perfectly, the driver name is now showed when an incident is under investigation,
the teams get the numbers on the car they deserved by their efforts the previous season,
thus also pleasing the sponsors and funders since a number 3 on a Sauber will look far more interesting then a number 17.

Ferrari back with the number 27 while they are second in the WCC? hell no.

[SectorOne]

hell no. It's still confusing.

But that´s the thing. It really isn´t. It works brilliantly in MotoGP and NASCAR.
Steady numbers is impossible to be MORE confusing then changing numbers. Just like below with helmets.

People forget but we pretty much has this already with helmets. Very few changes helmet design every year all the time.
(one tends to change helmet design all the time but he´ll get bored soon i´m sure)

Hamilton, what color, that´s easy, it´s yellow 99.9995% of the time.

[Slife]

What if Schumacher choose number 1, and then retired. Would somebody else be allowed to have number 1 ? What happens when Schumacher comes back ?

[Trocola]

What if Schumacher choose number 1, and then retired. Would somebody else be allowed to have number 1 ? What happens when Schumacher comes back ?

The number 1 is reserved for the world champion