What's in a number? Drivers' permanent numbers and the reasons behind them

Formula 1's move to permanent numbers has prompted plenty of interest in the build-up to the 2014 season, so with the allocations for the new season and beyond now out, here's a rundown of the reasoning behind the selections.

Anything else? Unsurprisingly, Hamilton brings '44' out of a long F1 retirement - indeed the last drivers to run with numbers as high as 40 on their cars were Friday runners Neel Jani (40) and Franck Montagny (41) in practice at the 2006 Brazilian GP. The last driver to run with Hamilton's 44 was also a Briton, albeit a little-known one, when Melchester Racing's Tony Trimmer used it en-route to failing to qualify for the 1977 British GP.

Nico Rosberg - Mercedes

Number: 6. Why?

Cool. got number 6 for my remaining F1 career! My future wife's and my dad's lucky number. so it has got to work for me too! ;)

- Nico Rosberg (@nico_rosberg) January 10, 2014

Anything else? While never actually carried by Nico himself hitherto in F1, '6' was the number on his father Keke's Williams when he won the world title in 1982, and then again in 1984-85. The number then became associated with Ricardo Patrese, at first Williams and then during the Italian's final F1 campaign with Benetton, in 1988-1993 and in more recent time was the number Kimi Raikkonen won the championship with in 2007.

Fernando Alonso - Ferrari

Number: 14. Why?

#Alo14 pic.twitter.com/4E9AOvlca6

- Fernando Alonso (@alo_oficial) December 20, 2013

Anything else? More commonly associated with midfield teams, '14' nonetheless was the number Alonso's friend and former Red Bull driver Mark Webber carried when he won his first two F1 races in Germany and Brazil in 2009.

Kimi Raikkonen - Ferrari

Number: 7. Why? Not one for sentimentality, Kimi Raikkonen went for a straightforward selection: "It's the number I already had last year and I saw no reason to change it." So there you have it. Anything else? Seven was both Damon Hill and Nigel Mansell's respective final numbers in F1.

Romain Grosjean - Lotus

Number: 8. Why? Writing on his Facebook page, Grosjean explained: "Simply I like this number, plus it has some signification to me. My wife was born the 8th of December, we started dating in 2008 and besides, to my eyes my son is the 8th wonder of the world. That's why I picked up number 8."

Yes yes yes I have got my first number choice : 8 #r8main #2014 #f1

More from F1

• F1: How Lewis Hamilton can still take 'positives' despite Ferrari frustration

• Max Verstappen: Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says he is 'not at all' disappointed by Dutchman's new Red Bull contract

• F1 news, rumours and gossip: Formula 1 latest updates on teams, driver transfer market and contracts

• F1: Title contender? Lando Norris' roller-coaster season so far...

• Formula One: Lewis Hamilton wins 2020 British GP despite tyre blowout!

• Formula One: Most bizarre start ever?! Lewis Hamilton restarts alone on this day in 2021!

- Romain Grosjean (@RGrosjean) January 10, 2014

Anything else? Like his former Lotus team-mate Raikkonen, '8' was Grosjean's car number in 2013 - which he might now consider to bring good luck given it was his best season in F1 to date. The Frenchman also carried it in his less successful half-season