I believe the car numbers are based on a years worth of driving. Prodrive would get the last two numbers or none at all {would be more fitting}
The weak believe it is. I guess the Boogieman would have the number 13 on his cape or perhaps the ace of spades on his chest. Good grief.
Look how well it worked out for Apollo 13. (Well, that could have been worse.) For a time, black F1 cars were considered "death cars" too, until Lotus took on the myth (for the sake of their black boxed sponsors) and beat it. With the Japanese drivers entering the fray, I wonder if they're going to drop "4", or just resume 13?
Not quite correct. I am reasonably certain that 11 and 12 had no special significance. The first year that numbers were assigned to teams on a year-long basis was 1974. Up through 1973 it was common courtesy to allow the previous year's WDC to wear #1, and his teammate got #2. But all other numbers were assigned by each race organizer, and it was not uncommon for cars to have different numbers at every event. For 1974 the numbers were assigned based on the 1973 standings, using, essentially, the current system. However, as WDC Jackie Stewart had retired, the numbers 1 & 2 went instead to the constructors' champion, which happened to be Lotus. Tyrrell, as the next team in line, got 3 & 4, McLaren got 5 & 6, and so on, and it happened that Ferrari on that basis received 11 & 12. However, unlike today, the numbers were not reassigned every year! All that happened is that the new WDC's team (or, in his absence, the WCC team) "traded" numbers with the team that had 1 & 2 the year before. So for 1975, McLaren and Lotus traded numbers, with McLaren now getting 1 & 2 (for Fittipaldi) and Lotus getting 5 & 6. For 1976 it was Ferrari and McLaren trading numbers, with Ferrari getting 1 & 2 (for Lauda) and McLaren getting the 11 & 12 that Ferrari had worn in '74 and '75. For 1977, after Hunt's title, the same two teams traded the same numbers back. Tyrrell, of course, was no longer a factor, so they kept 3 & 4 for many years, until the system was changed so that all the numbers were reassigned each year. And Ferrari got the fabled 27 & 28 from Williams in 1981, giving up the 1 & 2 they had worn in 1980. They then kept those numbers until 1996, when defending WDC Michael Schumacher brought #1 with him over from Bennetton.
I don't see a Japanese person on a top team, and thus driving a 4 anytime soon. I've seen Sato, Ide, and Yamomoto and there ZERO chance that they will ever drive for Ferrari, McLaren, Renault, or BMW.
