As part of a daily series in the run-up to the start of pre-season, Motorsport Week brings you brief left-field reflections and stories of teams, drivers and reserve/test drivers that will be part of the Formula 1 paddock in 2019.
Robert Kubica has chosen the number 88 for his Formula 1 comeback this year, on account of eight being his favourite number, and the theory that two is better than one (and that Romain Grosjean already has eight under lock and key).
Under Formula 1’s new-for-2014 system the higher numbers have typically been avoided. Above 50, only 55, 63, 77, 94, 98 and 99 have been raced. And yet 88 has already been used.
The amiable Rio Haryanto used support from his native Indonesia to land a seat with Manor Racing for 2016, having emerged as a winner in the GP2 Series the previous campaign.
Haryanto, who had tested for Manor’s predecessor Virgin Racing in 2010, picked 88 but unfortunately it did not bring much fortune. Haryanto spent much of the first half of the season as a backmarker and with each passing race rumours grew that his funding was gradually drying up.
Haryanto only had enough financial backing to see him through to the Hungarian Grand Prix but Manor gave him a one-round stay of execution for the following weekend's German Grand Prix, the last race before the summer break. It did not help his plight. Manor’s patience ran out and with Haryanto’s management unable to convince Indonesia’s government for more funding, it replaced him with Mercedes protégé Esteban Ocon for the second half of the season. Manor’s perilous financial predicament did not improve and it collapsed early in 2017. Haryanto bowed out of F1 after 12 starts, a best qualifying result of 17th and a best race classification of 15th.
Kubica will hope that the number 88 brings him a little more success.
