Lando Norris to take Max Verstappen’s no 1 for F1 title defence in 2026

Lando Norris has confirmed he’ll use the number one on his McLaren automotive when he launches his F1 title defence in 2026.

The 26-year-old Briton clinched his first world championship title by ending third in a tense season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday.

Norris beat Pink Bull’s Max Verstappen, who claimed his eighth victory of the season at Yas Marina, to the world title by simply two factors.

Following his title triumph, Norris had the choice to race with the number one, or proceed to make use of his quantity 4, which he has run since making his F1 debut in 2019.

Norris has opted to make the change, which means he take Verstappen’s no 1 away from him subsequent season.

“It is custom. It is there for a cause. It is there as a result of you may go and take a look at seize it and you’ll work onerous to attempt to get it,” Norris informed Sky Sports activities Information.

“All of us as a workforce that will get to have a job in McLaren, or my automotive, will get to put on that with satisfaction. It is all my mechanics, my engineers, everybody that is a part of McLaren will get to have that acknowledgement too.

“So it is not for me, it is for them as effectively. It is their satisfaction, figuring out that they put a whole lot of work and energy into every thing that they will additionally go ‘we’re primary’. It is not as cool if you say ‘we’re quantity 4’ so they are going to be even happier than I’m!”

Verstappen has run the number one on his automotive since 2022 however loses the privilege after Norris ended his four-year reign on the high of F1.

The four-time world champion has closely hinted he’ll change his quantity altogether.

Verstappen’s variety of alternative was 33 however he’s eyeing up former Pink Bull teammate Daniel Ricciardo’s outdated quantity 3.

Since F1 launched private driver numbers from the 2014 season, Lewis Hamilton has been the one world champion to not race with the number one after successful the drivers’ world crown.

Hamilton has caught to his quantity 44 since 2014, solely operating a no 1 on his automotive as a one-off throughout Friday apply on the 2018 and 2019 Abu Dhabi Grands Prix. 

“I personally don’t prefer it, I don’t prefer it in any respect,” Hamilton defined of his alternative. 

“The rationale I did it’s I’ve been right here for six years and I bear in mind when the workforce had primary when Jenson gained the world title, and [he] moved to McLaren and introduced the primary with him, it’s unusual that McLaren would then have the primary on the automotive.

“So since we’ve been world champions we’ve by no means had primary on the automotive. And I believed it will simply be cool.”