2014 Driver Number Stats – Part 1

Now that every driver will have a number for their career, I may as well provide some stats on all being used in 2014, plus the reserve driver numbers I can find.

I’ll start by team, alphabetically for no reason other than it’s the laziest way. All race stats are up to the 2014 Australian Grand Prix

#9. Marcus Ericsson – Caterham

The number nine has been used in all but two F1 seasons, 1955 and 1986. In total it’s been entered in 773 GPs, winning 20. The first drivers to use the number nine were Peter Walker and Tony Rolt, sharing an ERA car at the 1950 British Grand Prix. Michele Alboreto has used the number the most, entering 48 races with in between 1990 and 1992, the Arrows team used it even more, a huge 113 races between 1989 and 1995.

#10 Kamui Kobayashi – Caterham

The number ten has been used more than nine, but fewer wins, 804 races, 15 wins. Much like with nine, ten was used at the first F1 race and shared between two drivers, Joe Fry and Brian Shawe-Taylor’s Maserati, finishing tenth. The two drivers that have used number ten the most are both Japanese, perhaps why Kamui picked it, Takuma Sato used it 35 times and Aguri Suzuki 32 times. Arrows have used number 10 113 times, exactly the same as with nine.

#46 Robin Frijns – Caterham

The first number not used so much, it has only been used 35 times, from 1950 to 1970. It was first used at the 1950 Italian Grand Prix by Consalvo Sanesi’s Alfa Romeo and last used at the 1970 Italian Grand Prix by Rolf Stommelen’s Brabham. The number has won a single race, the 1953 Swiss Grand Prix with Alberto Ascari at the wheel of a Ferrari 500. Only two drivers have used 46 more than once, Lorenzo Bandini used it twice, and Jean Behra three times. Equipe Gordini and Ferrari both used the number three times.

#7 Kimi Raikkonen – Ferrari

Number seven, used 770 times, winning 27 and with an average finishing position of, you guessed it, seventh. The number seven was first used at the 1950 Indy 500, when it was part of the F1 calendar, by Paul Russo. John Watson used the number the most, a whopping 91 times between 1977 and 1983, it was also used by James Hunt in his final season at McLaren. And McLaren are the team that have used it the most, 202 times from 1969 to 1998.

#14 Fernando Alonso – Ferrari

801 races, used at the 1950 British Grand Prix by Yves Giraud-Cabantous, 11 wins, the most recent from Mark Webber in 2009. Another former Red Bull driver, David Coulthard, has the most races with number 14, 54 of them in total, with Webber just behind with 51. So of course, Red Bull have the most races with the number 14, 71 in total.

#11 Sergio Perez – Force India

Another slightly boring number, 772 races and 36 wins, first used at the 1950 British Grand Prix by Cuth Harrison’s ERA. The first driver to win with the number 11 was Jack Brabham at the 1960 Dutch GP, it was also used by James Hunt in his championship winning season. Elio de Angelis used the number 11 the most with 76 races, Lotus are the team that used it the most with 229.

#27 Nico Hulkenberg – Force India

A more interesting number, 27, with 379 races and 25 wins. It was used in the first three Indy 500 races but not a main F1 event until the 1952 British Grand Prix with Johnny Claes. The number is most associated with Ferrari, who used it 221 times with drivers such as Gilles Villeneuve, 20 races, Jean Alesi, 63 races, and Michele Alboreto, 80 races.

#34 Daniel Juncadella – Force India

Number 34 was first used by Juan Manuel Fangio at the 1950 Monaco Grand Prix, which it won. It has been used a total of 194 times, winning just twice, with Fangio at the wheel both times. The last race with a number 34 was the 1994 Australian Grand Prix with Bertrand Gachot’s Pacific GP. Four drivers each have 16 races with number 34, Hans-Joachim Stuck, Bernd Schneider, Nicola Larini and Bertrand Gachot. Three teams also have 16 races with 34, Zakspeed, Modena and Pacific GP.

#8 Romain Grosjean – Lotus

853 races and 47 wins for the number eight. The first win with the number caused a driver to instantly retire from F1. Luigi Fagioli started the 1951 French Grand Prix with it, but was forced to give his car to Fangio after 20 laps and retired in anger. Fernando Alonso has used number eight the most with 53 races, Niki Lauda the second most with 46. McLaren have used number eight a total of 202 times.

#13 Pastor Maldonado – Lotus

This is a short one, number 13 has been used just three times, by three drivers. Moises Solana used it first at the 1963 Mexican Grand Prix, Divina Galica second at the 1976 British Grand Prix, and of course Maldonado himself.

#4 Max Chilton – Marussia

Another low and well used number. Number four has been used in every single F1 season, with 871 races and 37 wins in total. The first driver to use it was Reg Parnell in his Alfa Romeo, finishing third. Patrick Depailler has used the number most, 78 times from 1974 to 1978. Tyrrell have used the number four 350 times, between 1968 and 1995.

#17 Jules Bianchi – Marussia

Five wins from 729 races, the first win came from Graham Hill’s BRM at the 1962 Dutch Grand Prix. Frenchman Jean-Pierre Jarier has used number 17 the most, with 44 races, Arrows used it 111 times and Shadow 110.

This is taking longer than expected to write, so I’ll finish the rest of the teams off tomorrow!