( CNN ) -- He is Formula One 's undisputed No . 1 , and next season Sebastian Vettel will have proof of that fact emblazoned on his Red Bull but choosing a number was not so simple for the rest of his rivals on the grid . Ahead of the 2014 campaign getting under way in March , each racer was invited to select the number they wanted to display on their car for the rest of their careers . Four-time champion Vettel chose the No . 5 -- fitting as he chases a fifth successive drivers ' championship -- to brand his car with but , as the reigning title holder , he will automatically run with the No . 1 on his Red Bull chassis . The new regulation has been introduced by the sport 's rulemakers to allow drivers to market themselves more effectively . Vettel 's Red Bull teammate Daniel Ricciardo will sport the No . 3 during his first season with the all-conquering marque , while 2013 runner up Fernando Alonso will race with the No . 14 on his Ferrari as a throwback to his karting days . Kimi Raikkonen will mark his first season back at Ferrari with the No . 7 on his `` Prancing Horse . '' The Finn displayed his usual laidback attitude when it came to choosing his number , explaining on Ferrari 's website : '' It 's the number I already had last year and I saw no reason to change it . I like it which is good enough is n't it ? McLaren 's Jenson Button requested 22 as it was the number he had on his Brawn GP car when he was crowned world champion in 2009 . Mercedes ' Lewis Hamilton has opted for 44 ; his teammate Nico Rosberg has taken the number six . The 2014 season will begin with the curtain-raising Australian Grand Prix on March 16 .
Formula One introduces driver numbers for 2014 season . Red Bull 's Sebastian Vettel takes the number 1 as defending champion . The German had chosen five as champion to race with No . 1 for a season . Fernando Alonso takes 33 , with Lewis Hamilton driving for 44 .