Damon Hill

Hill reveals why he used LOWEST car number in F1 history

Dan Davis Saturday 12 August 2023 12:12

Formula 1 legend Damon Hill has revealed how he came to race with the lowest car number in the history of the sport.

Hill, who clinched the 1996 world title with Williams and later drove for Arrows and Jordan, sported the rarely-seen number zero in 1993 and 1994.

Unlike the present era, drivers did not have personal numbers before 2014. In fact, from 1974, the defending champion's team would use No 1 and No 2.

But in the event the king of the sport stepped away on a high before a new season, No 1 could not be used, bringing No 0 into play.

Alongside team-mate Alain Prost, Hill later fell foul of this bizarre rule.

Hill, the 1996 world champion, stepped away from F1 in 1999

Hill: Zero 'most meaningless number'

Detailing the story behind the selection, he told the F1 Nation podcast: "Nobody wanted to give me their number.

"They had to give me the most meaningless number of all, which is zero. Nigel Mansell left, there was no world champion so they couldn’t have a No 1.

"The team I drove for had won the championship so clearly they had to be the lowest number.

"Ordinarily, they'd be No 1 and 2, but Alain Prost got No 2 and I got 0."

Hill retired from F1 in 1999 and now acts as a pundit for Sky Sports.

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