Lando Norris has confirmed he will proudly carry the number one on his McLaren car in the 2026 Formula 1 season, following his dramatic victory in the 2025 F1 drivers' championship. The British driver clinched the title by just two points over his fierce rival, Max Verstappen, sealing his success with a third-place finish at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
For years, Norris has been associated with the number 4, which has become a defining element of his personal brand. However, embracing tradition, he will now don the coveted number one, a symbol reserved for the reigning world champion. Speaking to Sky Sports News, Norris emphasized the significance of this change, highlighting that the number one embodies the collective pride and hard work of everyone at McLaren. “It’s not just for me, it’s for my entire team—mechanics, engineers, everyone who’s contributed. Wearing number one means much more than just a number; it’s a badge of honor for all of us,” he explained.
Max Verstappen, who has sported the number one since 2022, previously raced under number 33. It remains unclear if he will revert to that number or attempt to switch to his previously desired number three. FIA regulations, however, restrict such changes, requiring drivers to be absent from F1 competition for two full years before their numbers can be reassigned.
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While many champions adopt the number one after winning the title, some, like seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, have chosen to retain their original numbers—in Hamilton’s case, 44—integrating them into their brand identities.
Norris’s championship win marks the end of Verstappen’s 1,457-day dominance as F1’s top driver. It also concludes a 5,505-day streak in which every world champion raced for either Red Bull or Mercedes. The last driver to break that pattern was Jenson Button, who won the championship in 2009 with Brawn GP.
Throughout his career, Norris has been loyal to McLaren, stating that winning the championship with the team was always his goal. He is also unique among modern F1 champions for securing his first title after completing over 150 races solely with his championship-winning team.