The FIA retires number 17 in honor of Jules Bianchi
Following the death of Jules Bianchi, the FIA has decided that his number, 17, will no longer be available in Formula 1.
Last year, the FIA decided that numbers in Formula 1 would no longer be assigned based on the Constructors’ Championship standings from the previous season. Instead, it was decided that each driver now chooses their number, which they will keep throughout their career. The only possible exception: obtaining the number 1 following a world title.
Jules Bianchi had chosen number 17. Following his death, we will no longer see this number in F1 as the FIA has decided to retire it from the list of possible choices: “Since car numbers in F1 are now personally chosen by each driver, the FIA feels it is appropriate to retire Jules Bianchi’s number 17. Consequently, this number can no longer be chosen by a car competing in the FIA Formula One World Championship.”
