FIA Backs Down from Car Numbering Decision

Formula One's governing body, the FIA, were forced on Friday into an embarrassing u-turn as they reversed their original decision on the numbering of cars for the 2002 season.

The FIA released a statement of team entries for 2002 on December 3rd with each team taking the numbers they had for the 2001 Championship, instead of giving the teams new numbers for where they finished in the Constructors' Championship last season.

The decision infuriated some team bosses, particularly Sauber chief Peter Sauber, who revealed his dismay at the ruling after his Swiss-based team finished fourth last season.

As a result, the FIA have decided to allow teams to take the numbers to reflect their finish in last season's Championship. "A number of teams have requested that car numbers for 2002 ... should follow the world championship order of the previous year," the FIA said in a statement, revising the numbers accordingly. Sauber's cars will now be numbers 7 and 8, instead of 16 and 17. Champions Ferrari will have car numbers one and two, while at the other end of the field newcomers Toyota will have numbers 24 and 25.

The FIA's revised entry list (provisional):