Raikkonen picks number 7 & Bottas 77

Drivers are spending the last days before Christmas coming up with the numbers they will carry for the rest of their formula one careers.

After the FIA kicked off the selection process, telling drivers they should name their top three picks between 2-99, it has already emerged that Force India's Sergio Pérez has plumped for number 11.

It is believed Fernando Alonso considers 14 to be his lucky number, Jean-Eric Vergne wants the iconic 27, and Nico Rosberg has asked to carry number 6, which was raced to the 1982 title by his father Keke.

Now, adding the hashtag 'Bo77as', Williams driver Valtteri Bottas has told his 49,000 followers on Twitter that he has put down 77 as his first choice.

Felipe Massa has nominated the number 19, but others - like new Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo - aren't saying.

"For now I'll keep mine quiet," he said. "(But) it's a beautiful thing F1 drivers will have freedom to choose what number they want to race from next year."

Kimi Raikkonen

His replacement at Toro Rosso, Daniil Kvyat, admitted: "I have been thinking all night long about my number."

And Lotus' Romain Grosjean added: "My 3 favourites sent to the FIA, but will keep it secret for now."

Finland's Ilta-Sanomat newspaper said Kimi Raikkonen has picked the number 7 to wear on his helmet and Ferrari next year.

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Leopold

Leopold Pleijsier founded F1-Fansite.com in 2001 and has followed Formula 1 since the early 1980s. He writes about daily F1 news, race weekends, drivers and the sport’s history.

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