#FunFact - Number 0 in F1

Prior to the 2014 season, the driver’s racing numbers were based of the driver’s finish position in the previous season. So the champion got to drive with number 1 the next season, the runner up with number 2, etc.
But it has happened twice, that a racing driver drove with number 0, which was in 1993 and 1994, both times it was Damon Hill who drove with that number.

Why you ask? Let me explain. The rules said that only the champion was allowed to use number 1. But Nigel Mansell, who won the championship for Williams in 1992 retired from the sport after winning the championship. His teammate, Riccardo Patrase, who finished 2nd in 1992 left the team to go to Bennetton. Normally the team would’ve been given the numbers 1 and 2, but because Mansell retired they got the numbers 0 and 2. Their two new drivers were 3-time world championship Alain Prost and Damon Hill who came over from Brabham.
Prost didn’t want number 0, which meant it was given to Hill. So for the first time in F1’s history someone drove with number 0.

Prost would end up winning the championship that year, but he retired from F1 after winning the title. For 1994 the team retained Hill and signed another 3-time world championship, Ayrton Senna. This put them in the same situation as the previous year, Senna didn’t want number 0 so it was once again given to Hill.
Number 0 has never been used again.

That’s all for now, have a nice day :)

Marijn M.