<p>"Michael has a preference for odd numbers," a team spokeswoman said on Wednesday. "He asked if he could be the odd number and we were happy to accept." <br /><br />She said the governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) had approved the switch, with Schumacher now having number three on his car and Rosberg four.<br /><br />As a seven times world champion, Schumacher has spent much of his record-breaking Formula One career with number one on his car. He won all his titles with odd numbers -- five as number one and once with three and five -- and retired with 91 wins. <br /><br />Since 1973, when drivers were given numbers for the entire season, nobody has started as number four and won the championship.<br /><br />Odd numbers are not Schumacher's only foible. The German always wore a ceramic amulet, given to him by his wife and with the initials of his family members, when racing for Ferrari. <br />In 2004, he left it in his hotel in Bahrain and a team member had to rush and collect it before the race, which Schumacher then won. The German said later that the amulet had made "perhaps the decisive difference".</p>
<p>"Michael has a preference for odd numbers," a team spokeswoman said on Wednesday. "He asked if he could be the odd number and we were happy to accept." <br /><br />She said the governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) had approved the switch, with Schumacher now having number three on his car and Rosberg four.<br /><br />As a seven times world champion, Schumacher has spent much of his record-breaking Formula One career with number one on his car. He won all his titles with odd numbers -- five as number one and once with three and five -- and retired with 91 wins. <br /><br />Since 1973, when drivers were given numbers for the entire season, nobody has started as number four and won the championship.<br /><br />Odd numbers are not Schumacher's only foible. The German always wore a ceramic amulet, given to him by his wife and with the initials of his family members, when racing for Ferrari. <br />In 2004, he left it in his hotel in Bahrain and a team member had to rush and collect it before the race, which Schumacher then won. The German said later that the amulet had made "perhaps the decisive difference".</p>
