Lando Norris will wear number 1 in 2026

Crowned world champion for the very first time on a night in Abu Dhabi, Lando Norris therefore obtains the right to drive with the number 1 in Formula 1 next season. While the regulations don't require drivers to use it, Norris confirmed to our colleagues at Sky Sports F1 that he will continue the tradition with which Max Verstappen returned in 2022, after several seasons without a number 1 on the grid (Lewis Hamilton had kept his number 44, and Nico Rosberg retired five days after his title).

"It's a tradition. It exists for a reason. It exists because you can try to achieve it and work hard to achieve it."Norris, who has worn the number 4 since his Formula 1 debut in 2019 with a team McLaren which he never left.

The 26-year-old Briton explains his reasoning by mentioning that he wears it not only for himself, but also for all the people in the team who worked on his car and helped him to conquer this special number, by two points ahead of four-time world champion Max Verstappen.

“Every member of the team who plays a role at McLaren, or in my car, will be able to wear this with pride. All my mechanics, my engineers, everyone who is part of McLaren will also benefit from this recognition. So it’s not just for me, it’s for them too. It’s their pride, knowing that they’ve put so much work and effort into everything they do, that they too can say ‘we’re number one.’ It’s not as cool when you say ‘we’re number four,’ so they’ll be even happier than I am!”

Since 2014, Formula 1 drivers have had a permanent number, between 2 and 99. This rule will be relaxed in 2026, allowing each driver to change their number from year to year if they wish. Max Verstappen, who will revert to his permanent number after four seasons with number 1, could adopt number 3, his favorite number, which was previously taken by Daniel Ricciardo at the time of his arrival in Formula 1.

Since the introduction of this rule, the number 1 only appeared in 2014, and from 2022 to 2025 (and therefore in 2026).

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