Lewis Hamilton has previously revealed that he sports the No. 44 on his car for sentimental reasons. The seven-time Formula One world champion has had the number since the sport introduced permanent digits on vehicles in 2014.
Hamilton had 44 on his cars during his pre-F1 career. Upon his F1 debut with McLaren, drivers’ numbers were decided based on their place in the Drivers’ Championship leaderboard.
That changed a decade ago when drivers were told they could pick their own numbers and keep them for their entire career. Hamilton chose No. 44 as it was recognisable to his fans and family.
“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 star told F1.com two 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.”
Hamilton is joining Ferrari after 12 years at Mercedes. His final three years with the Silver Arrows were plagued by performance issues and his own inconsistencies.
The 39-year-old came close to winning a record eighth world championship in 2021, but controversially lost out to Max Verstappen on the final lap of the year. Hamilton has since won only two Grands Prix.
Mercedes waved goodbye to Hamilton after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix earlier this year. He held a party with staff to thank them for their work.
“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,” Hamilton told them.
“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.”
