Hamilton will retain the number 44 next year despite his title
While he has the option to wear the number 1 to clearly display his championship title from this season, Lewis Hamilton has decided to keep his current number for 2015, the number 44.
Following his title win on Sunday in Abu Dhabi during the final race of the 2014 Formula 1 season, Lewis Hamilton revealed that he intends to keep his number 44 next season, even though he can use the number 1 following his championship victory.
As a preamble to the 2014 F1 season, drivers had to choose a permanent number, between 2 and 99, for the rest of their careers – with number 1 reserved for the reigning world champion. Hamilton therefore has the opportunity to wear this number on his Mercedes next season but he prefers to keep his current number.
Sebastian Vettel, who wore the number 1 this season after his 2013 victory, will sport the number 5 at Ferrari.
Note that the last time no F1 single-seater bore the number 1 was in 1994 when Damon Hill used the number 0, following Alain Prost’s championship win in 1993 with Williams, which was followed by the Frenchman’s retirement.
