Jack Doohan will use the same career number as one of his racing heroes when he makes his grand prix debut next year.
He has chosen to take over the number seven, last used by Kimi Raikkonen, when he arrives in F1 with Alpine next year.“I really wanted to go with a number that I raced with before, something that had meaning for me,” he said in a video released by Alpine. “I raced with number seven in 2019.”
Doohan used the number that year when he drove for Double R, a Formula 3 team founded by Raikkonen and his manager Steve Robertson, in Euroformula Open.
Raikkonen’s number became available for use at the beginning of this year as he retired at the end of the 2021 season.
The Finnish world champion first used the number when it was allocated to him in 2013, the final year before F1 first introduced permanent career numbers. At the time Raikkonen drove for Lotus, which was later taken over by Renault and rebranded as Alpine.
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When F1 first gave drivers the opportunity to choose a permanent number, Raikkonen originally considered a change. “There was a chance that I’d take six because I won the championship with it,” he said. “But I knew that [Nico] Rosberg wanted it because his father won the championship with it so I just kept what I had.”
Raikkonen started 176 races as number seven, the most of any driver, and more than half of his 349 career starts.

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bernasaurus (@bernasaurus)
25th November 2024, 15:06
Still don’t get why nobody has chosen 42 yet. It’s pretty significant after all.
Jere (@jerejj)
25th November 2024, 16:00
What’s so significant about 42 particularly?
I get 43 because of Valentino Rossi, but I can’t think of anything particular regarding 42, F1-related or otherwise.
AllTheCoolNamesWereTaken
25th November 2024, 17:43
I’m guessing you’re not a “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” fan ;-)
Jere (@jerejj)
25th November 2024, 18:46
AllTheCoolNamesWereTaken Correct & I’ve never even heard of such a franchise.
@bernasaurus I could’ve never guessed or realized.
bernasaurus (@bernasaurus)
25th November 2024, 17:48
@jerejj It’s the answer to life, the universe, and everything.
Scotty (@rockonscotty)
25th November 2024, 20:50
Classic!
MacLeod (@macleod)
26th November 2024, 8:10
correct!
Crawliin-from-the-wreckage- Special Unhinged Edition (@davedai)
26th November 2024, 6:45
@jere
Rossi #43?
Where did that come from?
Jere (@jerejj)
26th November 2024, 16:11
@davedai Valentino Rossi, of course.
Crawliin-from-the-wreckage- Special Unhinged Edition (@davedai)
27th November 2024, 0:26
Nooooo I’ve been following #46 for more than a decade thinking it was Vale.
And he was really #43 ? Boo Hiss I want my money back.
Who was I following?
Jere (@jerejj)
27th November 2024, 7:09
@davedai Sorry, I mixed up 43 & 46, but nevertheless, my original point of understanding still stands.
Bullfrog (@bullfrog)
26th November 2024, 14:03
The Rossi who did get to race in F1 – Alexander – used “idol” Herbie’s number 53. Possibly my favourite reason for choosing a number.
GeeMac (@geemac)
26th November 2024, 4:09
I’m also confused as to why no one has chosen 66 yet, it’s the last “same double digit number” number that hasn’t been used since 2014.
Jere (@jerejj)
25th November 2024, 15:59
I’m surprised he didn’t choose his number shortly after the Dutch GP weekend when he got formally announced, which consequently meant he couldn’t pick 12, which was his first preference, to my knowledge, until Antonelli chose it.
Based on Kimi’s words from late 2013, I’m surprised he avoided choosing 6 just because Nico Rosberg wanted it even though other drivers’ preferences aren’t a must to consider when making a choice.
Consequently, Kimi’s choice meant Leclerc couldn’t choose 7 when he was becoming a full-time driver, which was his preference.
Simon
25th November 2024, 23:09
Doohan could/can choose his number anytime he wanted, as long as it’s before the entry deadline?
Jere (@jerejj)
26th November 2024, 16:12
True, but drivers normally tend to do so soon afterwards rather than wait.
Djangles LeVaughn (@royal-spark)
25th November 2024, 21:41
Number 7 was likely to be hotly contested, hot property anyway.
Laurence Cartwright (@lecmeister)
25th November 2024, 23:29
What I love about this is that Kimi only chose 7 because although he didnt care he had to pick something and he had no7 the year before under the old numbering system. Now that very number is being given a mythical quality by a fan of his.
Michael A.
26th November 2024, 0:43
Number 7 – aha! That ‘belonged’ to Sir Stirling Moss, Kimi was a respected ‘borrower’ of Number 7.
Dan G (@dang)
26th November 2024, 17:42
Don’t you mean “if”, given the rumours…
Jere (@jerejj)
27th November 2024, 7:12
No. He was never going to get belatedly replaced by Colapinto anyway, so fake claims from the get-go, especially as they never came from Alpine, & they wouldn’t have decided to give him a chance after the Sainz rejection only to go back on that decision later, but instead they would’ve offered a drive to someone like Bottas or Magnussen as Doohan wasn’t literally their only option besides Sainz.
Furthermore, a regular race number selection wouldn’t have happened either if he weren’t going to compete in the end.
jmlabareda
26th November 2024, 18:50
I am glad #12 is being chosen by Antonelli, it has been available for a while and it’s a number with some history.
#7 will always remind me of Kimi.
Someone should pick the #13, since Maldonado no one seems interested. It’s obviously the lowest number that never won, but it has also appeared very rarely. The next lowest number like this (no wins) is the #29, I believe.
Also no one seems to be keen on the #15, it’s the lowest number no one has chosen since this system started in 2014.
Osnola
27th November 2024, 8:41
And do not forget number 17, that is banned from choosing.
Always connected to jules Bianchi.