After finishing the 2025 Formula 1 season as world champion, Lando Norris decided that he would wear the number 1 on his car from 2026. The choice symbolizes the exclusive right of the current champion and ends the cycle of Max Verstappen, who has used the number since his first victory in 2021.
The Briton has worn number 4 since his debut in the category in 2019, but said the change carried a lot of symbolic weight. In an interview with Sky Sports News, he vouched for the change and said it was a team achievement.
“It’s a tradition. It’s there for a reason. It’s there because you can go out there and try to get it, you can work hard to try to get it. So it’s not just for me, it’s for them too… now they can say ‘we’re first’. It’s not so cool to say ‘we’re fourth,'” he said.
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Lando Norris finished in fourth place
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The McLaren driver is the 11th Briton to be F1 champion.
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The change comes on the eve of a change in regulations: from 2026, drivers will be able to change their number annually, something which has been fixed since 2014 since their debut in F1. However, the right to number 1 will remain exclusive to the current champion.
With Norris taking over the number, Verstappen will have to decide which one he will use next season. The Dutchman has already declared his preference for the 3, even though he has played most of his career with the 33.
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