How utterly bizarre – most of the teams aren’t actually running the appropriate numbers for their drivers. Williams and Red Bull appear to be the only ones doing it.
The numbers 1 to 12 and 24 to 25 are carried by the racing drivers. Then there is a gap, before the test driver for the World Constructors’ Champions (Red Bull) carries the number 31, all the way down to the last-placed team (Virgin), who get the 42. If a team runs two test drivers, the number starts again with 51 for Red Bull’s second driver.
These are the numbers that the teams are supposed to be carrying:
I always wondered why they bother, as some teams (like Ferrari) simply put no number on the car. Maybe in the live timing the car numbers are such (I’ve not seen the live timing)? Thanks for clarifying the order of the numbers, @prisoner-monkeys, very useful (I counted back from the Williams and found that Red Bull had 31, but I wasn’t sure why)!
(I counted back from the Williams and found that Red Bull had 31, but I wasn’t sure why)
Well, the second number is their position in the WCC – Red Bull has 1, McLaren has 2, and so on. When you get to Fernandes, they have 10 added to 30 (40), Hispania have 11 added to 30 (41) and Virgin have 12 added to 30 (42). I think – and don’t quote me on this, because I’m not 100% sure – the 3 is actually there to represent the third car (a similar system was used when teams could run a third car in Friday practice). It gets a little more complex when teams run a second test driver; Red Bull obviously can’t use 41 because that’s Hispania’s third-driver number. So they bump it up to 51.
The cars probably appear with their proper numbers on the live timing sheets; the teams just don’t bother with swapping out testing numbers. Red Bull, Williams and Virgin do it, while Toro Rosso run with no numbers, and everyone else just uses the existing number decals.
Silverkeg (@silverkeg)
17th November 2011, 22:09
I am in love with Berthon’s helmet…what a brilliant design
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
17th November 2011, 22:18
Some of the young drivers have excellent helmet designs. Korjus’s looks good too:
http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2011/11/16/young-drivers-test-day-2-pictures/rena_korj_abud_2011-1/
Mike (@mike)
17th November 2011, 23:05
Thanks for the pictures Keith. :D
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
17th November 2011, 23:16
Actually, @ScuderiaVincero I take it back. The Ferrari helmet looks a little out of place but other than that it’s quite nice.
ScuderiaVincero (@scuderiavincero)
18th November 2011, 2:35
Me gusta :)
Eggry (@eggry)
18th November 2011, 2:01
I can’t find pictures of Ferrari’s asymmetric exhaust. Is there anyone?
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
18th November 2011, 13:52
How utterly bizarre – most of the teams aren’t actually running the appropriate numbers for their drivers. Williams and Red Bull appear to be the only ones doing it.
The numbers 1 to 12 and 24 to 25 are carried by the racing drivers. Then there is a gap, before the test driver for the World Constructors’ Champions (Red Bull) carries the number 31, all the way down to the last-placed team (Virgin), who get the 42. If a team runs two test drivers, the number starts again with 51 for Red Bull’s second driver.
These are the numbers that the teams are supposed to be carrying:
Red Bull – 31 (Vergne), 51 (2nd driver), 71 (3rd driver)
McLaren – 32 (Paffet), 52 (Turvey), 72 (3rd driver)
Ferrari – 33 (Bianchi), 53 (2nd driver), 73 (3rd driver)
Mercedes – 34 (Bird), 54 (2nd driver), 74, (3rd driver)
Renault – 35 (Wickens), 55 (Korjus), 75 (Charouz)
Williams – 36 (Bottas), 56 (Bortolotti), 76 (3rd driver)
Force India – 37 (Chilton), 57 (Cecotto Jnr.), 77 (3rd driver)
Sauber – 38 (Leimer), 58 (Gutierrez), 78 (3rd driver)
Toro Rosso – 39 (Coletti), 59 (Ceccon), 79 (3rd driver)
Team Lotus – 40 (Gonzalez), 60 (Razia), 80 (Rossi)
Hispania – 41 (Clos), 61 (Charouz), 81 (Berthon)
Virgin – 42 (Quaife-Hobbs), 62 (Pic), 82 (Wickens)
The numbers 26 through to 30, 43 through to 50 and 63 through to 70 are not used because of the way the Concorde Agreement allows for twelve teams.
Fixy (@)
18th November 2011, 18:37
I always wondered why they bother, as some teams (like Ferrari) simply put no number on the car. Maybe in the live timing the car numbers are such (I’ve not seen the live timing)? Thanks for clarifying the order of the numbers, @prisoner-monkeys, very useful (I counted back from the Williams and found that Red Bull had 31, but I wasn’t sure why)!
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
19th November 2011, 3:44
Well, the second number is their position in the WCC – Red Bull has 1, McLaren has 2, and so on. When you get to Fernandes, they have 10 added to 30 (40), Hispania have 11 added to 30 (41) and Virgin have 12 added to 30 (42). I think – and don’t quote me on this, because I’m not 100% sure – the 3 is actually there to represent the third car (a similar system was used when teams could run a third car in Friday practice). It gets a little more complex when teams run a second test driver; Red Bull obviously can’t use 41 because that’s Hispania’s third-driver number. So they bump it up to 51.
The cars probably appear with their proper numbers on the live timing sheets; the teams just don’t bother with swapping out testing numbers. Red Bull, Williams and Virgin do it, while Toro Rosso run with no numbers, and everyone else just uses the existing number decals.