Seven-time Formula 1 world champion and future Ferrari F1 driver Lewis Hamilton has openly shared that his decision to display the number 44 on his car is deeply personal and sentimental. The British driver has carried the number since 2014, when the sport introduced permanent driver numbers for all vehicles.
Before his time in Formula 1, Lewis Hamilton had used the number 44 throughout his racing career. When he made his F1 debut with McLaren, the numbers assigned to drivers were based on their position in the Drivers’ Championship standings. However, a significant shift occurred a decade ago when F1 allowed drivers to select a personal number to use throughout their careers. For Hamilton, the number 44 was a natural choice, as it held strong significance to both his fans and family, offering a sense of continuity and recognition.
“That’s the number we raced with for many years, and then when I joined Formula One, I had to be whatever the team asked me to be,” the soon-to-be Ferrari driver revealed in an interview a few years ago – “And then further into my career they then decided to allow the drivers to choose their one number and that would be their number forever, and I went back to the number where it all started. It’s the number that my family recognised the most, it’s the number that has been loyal to me and to my fans.”
After spending 12 years at Mercedes, the seven-time Formula 1 world champion is making a highly-anticipated switch to the Maranello team starting with the 2025 F1 campaign. His last three seasons with the Silver Arrows were marked by a series of performance struggles, alongside some inconsistencies in his own form on the track.
At 39 years old, the British driver came agonizingly close to securing a historic eighth world title in 2021, only to suffer a heartbreaking defeat to Max Verstappen in the final lap of the season, a loss that sparked much debate. Since that dramatic year, Lewis Hamilton has only managed to win two Grands Prix. Earlier this season, Mercedes bid farewell to Lewis Hamilton following the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where he hosted a farewell party to express his gratitude to the team members for their dedication and efforts during his time with the team.
“I’ve been with this team, I joined in 1997 when my Formula Three wins were powered by Mercedes, every single lap that I’ve done in Formula One has been powered by all of you here. The expertise of everyone in this team, the dedication and the hard work, you’ve given up so much time of your lives with a common goal to win world championships and win races. I know I have you all behind me, and it’s been an amazing journey. What a dream. I believe in you. I’ll continue to believe in you, and when you do have that success, I’ll be so proud of you.” – the future Ferrari driver concluded.
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