Is number 69 banned in F1?
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. F1 drivers are allowed to choose a number between 2 and 99, which remain theirs for the duration of their career in the sport. If they depart the sport for any reason – be it a retirement or anything else – then their numbers would be reserved for two seasons, preventing any newcomers in that period from selecting it.
Why is number 17 banned in F1?
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 Qatar Grand Prix, Bianchi remains the most recent fatality in the Formula One World Championship. Jules Bianchi, one of the rising stars of Formula 1, tragically lost his life following a collision with a mobile crane at the Japanese Grand Prix on 5 October 2014. Having sustained serious head and spinal injuries, Jules died nine months after the collision in a hospital in Nice, France.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 Qatar Grand Prix, Bianchi remains the most recent fatality in the Formula One World Championship.