» FIA reveals (almost complete) F1 entry list

The FIA has released a provisional entry list for the 2014 Formula 1 season, confirming each of the assigned numbers that this year’s Formula 1 drivers will carry for the remainders of their career.

That the FIA firstly chose to release this information late on a Friday night was rather odd timing, but there were also a number of typo errors on the entry list itself, with both McLaren and Lotus – displayed as ‘Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Ltd’ and ‘Lotus Renault F1 Team Ltd’ – listed with incorrect names.

Lotus and Marussia were also, interestingly, both listed as ‘subject to confirmation’, with the latter team’s second driver seemingly confirmed as Max Chilton – the Banbury-based team has not made an official announcement as yet.

But the main talking point is the assignment of the drivers’ racing numbers. There were some interesting selections, with some drivers adopting a choice reflecting tradition or sentimentality, while for others, the choice was more practical or commercial.

2014 Formula 1 World Championship – Provisional Entry List:

No.	Race Drivers		Entry / Team	Engine	Chassis
1.	Sebastian Vettel		Infiniti Red Bull Racing		RB10
3.	Daniel Ricciardo		Infiniti Red Bull Racing		RB10
6.	Nico Rosberg		Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team		F1W05
7.	Kimi Räikkönen		Scuderia Ferrari		TBA
8.	Romain Grosjean		Lotus F1 Team		E22
11.	Sergio Pérez		Sahara Force India F1 Team		VJM07
13.	Pastor Maldonado		Lotus F1 Team		E22
14.	Fernando Alonso		Scuderia Ferrari		TBA
17.	Jules Bianchi		Marussia F1 Team		MR03
19.	Felipe Massa		Williams F1 Team		FW36
20.	Kevin Magnussen		McLaren Mercedes		MP4-29
21.	Esteban Gutiérrez		Sauber F1 Team		C33
22.	Jenson Button		McLaren Mercedes		MP4-29
25.	Jean-Éric Vergne		Scuderia Toro Rosso		STR9
26.	Daniil Kvyat		Scuderia Toro Rosso		STR9
27.	Nico Hülkenberg		Sahara Force India F1 Team		VJM07
44.	Lewis Hamilton		Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team		F1W05
77.	Valtteri Bottas		Williams F1 Team		FW36
99.	Adrian Sutil		Sauber F1 Team		C33
TBA.	Max Chilton		Marussia F1 Team		MR03
TBA.	TBA	TBA	Caterham F1 Team		CT04
TBA.	TBA	TBA	Caterham F1 Team		CT04

Reigning champion Sebastian Vettel will race with the number ‘1’ as he seeks to earn himself a record-equalling fifth successive Drivers’ Championship title this year. The German has also reserved the number 5 in seasons where he no longer holds the title, perhaps being a nod to both Nigel Mansell and Michael Schumacher, the latter winning his first World Championship crown racing the #5 Benetton Ford in 1994.

The likes of Daniel Ricciardo (#3), Sergio Pérez (#11) and Lewis Hamilton (#44) all selected the first number they ever ran when they started out in karting.

The likes of Felipe Massa (#19), Kevin Magnussen (#20) and Jean-Éric Vergne (#25) will each race with the numbers they ran during their breakout championship title wins – Massa’s was in the 2001 Euro F3000 championship, while Magnussen and Vergne were victorious in the 2013 Formula Renault 3.5 and 2007 Formule Campus titles, respectively.

Jenson Button secured his preferred #22, the same number he ran en route to winning the 2009 Formula 1 championship with the Brawn GP team – it remains the highest number a driver has run in their championship-winning season.

Nico Rosberg’s choice (#6) was a nod to his father, Keke, who raced the number en route to winning the 1982 World Championship crown with Williams.

Kimi Räikkönen (#7) and Romain Grosjean (#8) both keep the same numbers they ran when they were teammates at Lotus last year.

“It’s the number I already had last year and I saw no reason to change it,” Räikkönen – quite hilariously – said of his selection.

Räikkönen’s teammate Fernando Alonso will run his lucky #14, while Esteban Gutiérrez (#21) will also race his lucky number.

Conversely, Pastor Maldonado is defying any sense of superstition by picking the typically unlucky #13, which hasn’t been used since the 1976 British Grand Prix.

At the upper end of the scale, Valtteri Bottas secured #77, which allows him to use the ‘BO77AS’ branding. Adrian Sutil opted for the highest possible number allowed, and will race with #99.

Poor Jules Bianchi didn’t get any of his three shortlisted numbers (having nominated #27, #7 or #77 in order of preference), and instead took #17.

His teammate Max Chilton remains without a number while the futures of Giedo van der Garde and Charles Pic are still up in the air. Both finished ahead of him in the 2013 standings, and therefore get their preferences ahead of the Englishman, assuming the secure the two still to be confirmed seats at Caterham.