With the 2025 season creeping ever closer, the driver numbers have been confirmed for what is sure to be another exhilarating campaign of Formula 1 action.
What’s more, considering a quarter of the 2025 grid will be made up of rookies, there are several new numbers to look out for on-track – including some that have been held before by some very successful predecessors.
Here’s all you need to know about this year’s driver numbers, with the full list at the bottom of the page.
READ MORE: 2025 F1 GRID: All the driver and team line-ups confirmed
Why do F1 drivers have numbers?
Previously the drivers’ race numbers in Formula 1 were assigned based on each team’s ranking in the previous year’s championship. However, in 2014 that system was changed, with the drivers then allowed to pick a number that would stick with them throughout their F1 career.
That rule was brought in to help increase the personal branding of the drivers, as well as allowing fans to identify their favourite drivers across multiple seasons regardless of which team they would be racing for.
Lewis Hamilton has become synonymous with the number 44
That has proven to be the case. For example, Lewis Hamilton has become synonymous with his number 44 – the number he also used in karting – while, in 2021, the seven-time world champion founded Mission 44, a charity advocating for greater representation, diversity and inclusion in motorsport.
READ MORE: The 2025 Formula 1 calendar in full
How do drivers choose their numbers?
F1 drivers are allowed to choose a number between 2 and 99, which remain theirs for the duration of their career in the sport. If they depart the sport for any reason – be it a retirement or anything else – then their numbers would be reserved for two seasons, preventing any newcomers in that period from selecting it.
The number 1 is still reserved for the reigning world champion, though drivers are not obliged to use it. As a result, current four-time champion Max Verstappen races with the number 1, but the Dutchman ran with the number 33 prior to becoming champion for the first time in 2021.
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As the reigning world champion Max Verstappen gets to race with the number 1
The reasons behind drivers picking their numbers can be absolutely anything and everything. For example, Charles Leclerc runs with the number 16 because he originally wanted number seven or 10 but both were taken.
«I finally ended up with number 16, because one plus six equals seven and I am born the 16th of October,” the Monegasque said of his choice.
For two-time world champion and current Aston Martin racer Fernando Alonso, his number 14 holds special memories. “When I was 14 years old, the 14th of July, and with the go-kart number 14, I was world champion. From that moment I had no doubt that 14 is my number,» he said.
READ MORE: 5 things to be excited about as F1 gears up for the 2025 season
The full list of driver numbers for the 2025 F1 grid
Below are the full confirmed numbers for the 2025 F1 grid, including for the rookies as they embark on their first full Formula 1 seasons…
Alpine
| Driver | Number | Previous owner of number |
|---|---|---|
| Jack Doohan | #7 | Kimi Raikkonen |
| Pierre Gasly | #10 | Kamui Kobayashi |
Aston Martin
| Driver | Number | Previous owner of number |
|---|---|---|
| Fernando Alonso | #14 | No previous owner |
| Lance Stroll | #18 | No previous owner |
Ferrari
| Driver | Number | Previous owner of number |
|---|---|---|
| Charles Leclerc | #16 | No previous owner |
| Lewis Hamilton | #44 | No previous owner |
Haas
| Driver | Number | Previous owner of number |
|---|---|---|
| Esteban Ocon | #31 | No previous owner |
| Oliver Bearman | #87 | No previous owner |
Kick Sauber
| Driver | Number | Previous owner of number |
|---|---|---|
| Gabriel Bortoleto | #5 | Sebastian Vettel |
| Nico Hulkenberg | #27 | No previous owner |
McLaren
| Driver | Number | Previous owner of number |
|---|---|---|
| Lando Norris | #4 | Max Chilton |
| Oscar Piastri | #81 | No previous owner |
Mercedes
| Driver | Number | Previous owner of number |
|---|---|---|
| Andrea Kimi Antonelli | #12 | Felipe Nasr |
| George Russell | #63 | No previous owner |
Racing Bulls
| Driver | Number | Previous owner of number |
|---|---|---|
| Isack Hadjar | #6 | Nico Rosberg/ Nicholas Latifi |
| Yuki Tsunoda | #22 | Jenson Button |
Red Bull
| Driver | Number | Previous owner of number |
|---|---|---|
| Max Verstappen | #1 | *Number is reserved for the champion |
| Liam Lawson | #30 | Jolyon Palmer |
Williams
| Driver | Number | Previous owner of number |
|---|---|---|
| Alex Albon | #23 | No previous owner |
| Carlos Sainz | #55 | No previous owner |