Sebastian, king of the fives
Posted: 07.03.2019
Source: Ferrari
Vettel is the best Ferrari driver with this number
Maranello, 7 March 2019 – The history of sport is made of numbers, and Formula 1 is no exception. Since 2014, drivers in the top motor racing class have been free to choose their race number. Since then Sebastian Vettel has picked number five, which he decided to keep on his arrival at Scuderia Ferrari. He wanted five for many reasons: it was the number with which he won lots of kart races in 2001; it was the number on his livery when he won his first World Championship; it is a number with which many past greats such as Michael Schumacher and Nigel Mansell won.
Distinguished predecessors. Sebastian has contributed to the fortune of the number five and over the years has become the most successful driver with it on the nose of his Ferrari. With 13 victories and 81 races, Vettel has also surpassed Michael Schumacher, who used the number five in the 1997 and 2006 seasons. The first Ferrari with that number to compete in a Grand Prix raced on 18 July 1953 at the British Grand Prix. Alberto Ascari, at the wheel of the Ferrari 500, started from pole and won the race.
The others. The five has appeared on a Ferrari in at least one race in 17 different seasons and has competed in 191 races with 33 wins, 102 podiums, 28 pole positions, 30 fastest laps and 83% of races concluded in the points. Other drivers who have raced a Ferrari with the number five include Fernando Alonso (39 GPs), Felipe Massa (17), Clay Regazzoni (9), Phil Hill and Jacky Ickx (2).