Button honoured as Tsunoda explains F1 number conundrum
AlphaTauri launched the AT02 on Friday morning
Yuki Tsunoda has revealed to having issues in selecting his Formula 1 race number after the new AlphaTauri driver's initial choice had already been claimed.
Since 2014, F1 drivers have been required to select a number they will carry throughout their careers.
The only time a driver is permitted a change is if they win the world title, allowing them to run with the number one.
After a driver has been inactive for two years, that number can be reallocated to another.
Explaining his problem following the team's launch of its 2021 car, the AT02, Tsunoda said: “My number, when I was racing in karting, was 11, but in F1 that’s already taken by Sergio Perez.
"So, I doubled it to become 22, which I also like because it was the number of Jenson Button - a driver I respect a lot - when he won the Formula 1 world championship in 2009. It’s also a number used by Japanese driver Takuma Sato.”
The number 22 was also carried by Lewis Hamilton in 2008 when the Mercedes driver won his first world title.
Tsunoda will race alongside grand prix winner Pierre Gasly in his rookie year and is aware he must deliver results for AlphaTauri from day one.
“My main goal for this season is to learn quickly and deliver results as soon as possible," added Tsunoda. "I must always do the best I can and then we will see how the season plays out."
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