Question about car numbering

[tinhouse]

I just read that Rubens will be wearing No. 11 this year and Jenson No. 12. Does that mean that Rubens is BAR's lead driver now, or do teams allocate numbers according to previous season driver standings?

Sorry for such a dumb question, I've just never really paid attention to car numbers until now.

And while we're on dumb questions, what does the T in T car stand for? I once asked a guy who'd been in pit crews for Minardi and Williams and even he didn't know.

[zac510]

Button let Rubens have #11.

T = team.

[DaveKillens]

Teams are assigned numbers by FIA. The numbers are based on the previous year's best driver for each team. Last year it was Shu #1 with Reubens #2.
So for '06 it will be Alonso with #1 and Fisi with #2. Kimi is #3 with JPM #4. Shu will carry #5, while his soon to be forgotten teammate has #6.

[kkobayash]

In usual circumstances, Button being the driver already at the team he should have had the lower (better ranked) number, but Rubens' lucky number is #11 so Button let Rubens have it.


Check it out here:
http://www.hondaracingf1.com/en/index.p ... 364&type=1

[Spencifer_Murphy]

Oh and dont forget that if a Driver retires or dies as champion etc. The car he would have the following season (in theory) is designated with a "0".

Eg: When Senna died, Damon Hill was promoted to Driver1 with DC as driver 2, DC took damon's old car number and Damon's car was car number 0.

[Monstrobolaxa]

Button let Rubens have #11.

T = team.

T from the t-car means...test car...

[Tom]

I think it is test car, but I could be wrong.

[Guest]

or spare car, isnt the third chassis often refered to as t.car?

[tinhouse]

But you can see my problem with the T car business. We speculated about Test and Third (but not Team).

Does anyone have a basis for suggesting any of these, please?

Thanks,

TH

[DaveKillens]

Many years ago, teams usually just shipped three cars to each race. One per driver, and a third as backup. It was designated as the "T" car (spare). I am assuming, that the old naming system still lingers on, and the third car is assgned the "T" designation. Most likely, teams have their own interpretation of what "T" means.
But the two primary race cars do not carry the "T" designation.

[manchild]

T car is third car, spare car.

[Tom]

Does anone here honestly know. It sounds like you're all a bit unsure.

[zac510]

Well there is no official name for it so the team can call it what they want.

[manchild]

I'm 100% certain that spare car, third car is called "T-car".

http://www.formula1.com/insight/glossary/

Spare car: Each team brings an extra car to races, or sometimes two, in case of damage to the cars they intended to race. Also called a T-car.

[tinhouse]

Sorry maybe I didn't phrase the question too well. I know that the spare care is also called a T car, my question is actually why? What does the letter T stand for?

Seems like Third car is the front-runner at the moment?

Matt