Max Verstappen has confirmed an important personal change ahead of the 2026 Formula 1 season. The Dutch driver will compete with a new starting number, switching to number 3 following the end of his reign as world champion. Verstappen announced the decision on social media, confirming that the choice is both deliberate and deeply personal.
At 28, Verstappen remains one of the sport’s defining figures, and starting numbers have become part of his identity over the course of his Formula 1 career. With the number ‘1’ now set to be used by the newly crowned world champion, Verstappen has opted to return to the number he has long described as his favourite.
Why Verstappen has chosen number 3:
Verstappen’s decision to race with number 3 is not a spontaneous one. The number has held personal significance for him for many years, and was already visible during his recent GT3 test at Estoril, where it appeared above his garage while he drove a Mercedes.
By confirming that number 3 will also be used in Formula 1 from 2026, Verstappen has effectively brought that preference into his grand prix career. While drivers are typically associated with a single, permanent number under modern F1 regulations, circumstances at different points in his career have prevented Verstappen from using it until now.
With the number becoming available again, Verstappen has moved quickly to secure it for the upcoming season.
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A third starting number in Verstappen’s F1 career?
The switch to number 3 marks the third different starting number Verstappen has used in Formula 1. When he made his debut in 2015, the number was already taken by Daniel Ricciardo, prompting Verstappen to adopt number 33 instead.
That number became closely associated with his rise through the sport and his first world championship title in 2021. After claiming that championship, Verstappen switched to the iconic number 1, reserved for the reigning world champion if they choose to use it.
For several seasons, the number 1 became a symbol of Verstappen’s dominance at the top of Formula 1. However, with his championship run now ended, the number has passed on to the next title holder.
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Lando Norris claims number 1 after championship success
The reason Verstappen can no longer use the number 1 is straightforward: Lando Norris has chosen to adopt it, following his first Formula 1 world championship. The 26-year-old McLaren driver confirmed his decision in an interview with Sky Sports just one day after sealing the title in Abu Dhabi.
While the use of number 1 is optional, Norris made it clear that he wanted to embrace the tradition associated with it.
“It’s tradition. It exists for a reason,” Norris said. “It exists because you can try to grasp it, and you can work hard to achieve it.”
Unlike some champions before him, Norris did not hesitate to move away from the number he had previously raced with, deciding instead to mark his achievement in a visible and symbolic way.
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Why Norris decided not to keep number 4?
Formula 1 regulations do not require the world champion to race with number 1. Lewis Hamilton famously chose to continue using number 44, preferring personal branding over Formula 1 symbolism.
Norris, however, has taken a different view. In explaining his decision to drop number 4, he emphasised that the number 1 represents more than individual success.
“All of us as a team that plays a role at McLaren or on my car will wear this with pride,” Norris explained. “That goes for all my mechanics, my engineers, simply everyone who is part of McLaren. So it’s not just about me, but about them, too.”
For Norris, the number serves as recognition of the collective effort behind the championship, rather than a personal statement alone.
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A symbolic shift for two leading drivers
Norris also highlighted the emotional impact the number has within the team.
“It’s their pride to know that they’ve put a lot of work and effort into everything, and can now say, ‘We’re number one,’” he said. “It’s not as cool to say, ‘We’re number four,’ so they’ll be even happier than I am.”
With the 2026 season approaching, both drivers will line up with new numbers that reflect their current positions in the sport: Norris as the reigning champion, and Verstappen beginning a new chapter with a number he has long wanted to carry on a Formula 1 grid.
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The global image of Formula One is that of a runaway success as the sport continues to grow from strength to strength. Next season will see the first new circuit added since Las Vegas back in 2023, although rumours that Madrid is behind schedule continue to circulate.
Yesterday it was announced that Portimao in Portugal will return to the F1 schedule for a two year run in 2027/8. Yet the pipeline once brimming with hopeful promoters brandishing unlimited cheques appears to be running somewhat dry.
As is often the case in modern F1, the Portuguese Grand Prix is being underwritten by the government of the country and given the exorbitant fees to host such an event, the commitment for now is for just two years.
Gaps appearing on the future F1 calendar
However, there are gaps appearing on the calendar and in 2027 there are currently only 23 confirmed F1 race weekends. Imola has said farewell this season, but Madrid replaces the final slot on the 2026 schedule. Barcelona loses the right to host the Spanish Grand Prix as the title for the race has been transferred to the Spanish capital.
The future of F1 in Barcelona is uncertain given their contract expires at the end of 2026. The promoters may be hoping for an extension to be agreed, although they’ve been set the task of huge infrastructure improvements to deliver by the FIA and FOM.
For 2027 the number of Grand Prix weekends cold fall to as low as 21, as the historic Belgian Grand Prix begins its bi-annual rotation on the calendar. The Las Vegas Grand Prix will also be out of contract, although it is thought to be just a formality that an extension will be agreed.
Currently there are no big F1 projects in the pipeline and even the hugely trailed new Saudi Arabia track with its 90 metre high banked turn one has not yet broken ground. Whispers are…READ MORE ON THIS STORY
Thiago Treze is a Brazilian motorsport writer at TJ13 with a background in sports journalism and broadcast media, alongside an academic foundation in engineering with a focus on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). This combination of technical knowledge and editorial experience allows Thiago to approach Formula 1 from both a performance and narrative perspective.
At TJ13, Treze covers driver performance, career developments, and key storylines across the Formula 1 grid, while also analysing the technical factors that influence competitiveness. This includes aerodynamic development trends, simulation-driven design approaches, and the engineering decisions that shape race weekend outcomes.
His reporting bridges the gap between human performance and machine development, helping readers understand how driver execution and technical innovation interact in modern Formula 1. Coverage often connects on-track events with the underlying engineering philosophies that define each team’s approach.
With a global perspective shaped by both journalism and technical study, Thiago also focuses on Formula 1’s international reach and the different ways the sport is experienced across regions.
Treze has a particular interest in how Computational Fluid Dynamics and aerodynamic modelling contribute to car performance, offering accessible explanations of complex technical concepts within Formula 1.
