Is number 69 allowed in F1?
Currently, drivers are allowed to pick their own number for their career from 0, 2 through 99. Only the World Champion is allowed to use number 1. Is the Number 69 Banned in F1? Number 69 is not officially banned by the FIA, but no driver has chosen it since the system was introduced in 2014.
Why is 17 not allowed in F1?
Drivers were initially allowed to choose any number from 2 through 99; number 1 is reserved for the World Drivers’ Champion. The number 17 was retired in 2015 as a mark of respect to Jules Bianchi, who died that year from injuries sustained in a crash at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix while carrying the number. The number 17 was retired from Formula One in his honour by the FIA, who mandated the halo cockpit protection device in all open-wheel championships from 2018 onwards. As of the 2025 São Paulo Grand Prix, Bianchi remains the most recent fatality in the Formula One World Championship.