He is Formula One’s undisputed No. 1, and next season Sebastian Vettel will have proof of that fact emblazoned on his Red Bull.
Ahead of the 2014 campaign getting under way in March, each driver on the grid was invited to select the number they wanted to display on their car throughout 2014.
Four-time champion Vettel initially chose the No. 5 — fitting as he chases a fifth successive drivers’ championship — but, as the reigning title holder, he has taken up the option to run with the No. 1 on his chassis.
The new rule has been introduced by the sport’s rulemakers to allow drivers to market themselves more effectively.
Vettel’s Red Bull teammate Daniel Ricciardo will sport the No. 3 during his first season with the all-conquering marque, while 2013 runner up Fernando Alonso will race with the No. 14 on his Ferrari as a throwback to his karting days.
Kimi Raikkonen will mark his first season back at Ferrari with the No. 7 on his “Prancing Horse”, with McLaren’s Jenson Button requesting 22 as it was the number he had on his Brawn GP car when he was crowned world champion in 2009.
Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton has opted for 44; his teammate Nico Rosberg has taken the number six.
The 2014 season will begin with the curtain-raising Australian Grand Prix on March 16.
