Why Lando Norris can’t take Max Verstappen's No. 1 yet

McLaren star Lando Norris may be F1's newest champion, but that doesn't automatically entitle the Brit to take the No.1 driver number off of Max Verstappen.

The Red Bull star has picked up four consecutive drivers' championships from 2021 onwards, meaning he has earned the right to display the No.1 on his team kit and F1 car for the past four seasons.

But Verstappen fell two points short of claiming a fifth championship last weekend at the Abu Dhabi GP and he will now have to relinquish that privilege to Norris.

Speaking ahead of this year's season finale, Verstappen admitted he had already weighed up options for his new number, and it appears the four-time champion will either revert back to his No.33 or inherit the No.3 that was previously unavailable to him thanks to Daniel Ricciardo.

Now the Aussie racer no longer competes in F1, Verstappen is believed to have sent a request to the FIA to use the No.3 next season.

When can Norris use No.1 on his F1 car?

The 26-year-old McLaren star isn't technically champion until Friday, December 12, when he will be presented the trophy at the 2025 FIA gala and as a result, was not able to run the No.1 on his McLaren at the post-season tests in Abu Dhabi this week.

It is for this same reason that Norris was not pictured holding the official trophy even after his title win in Abu Dhabi, with the Brit set to pick up the sport's top prize in person this week in Uzbekistan.

Until then, Norris was forced to stick to the trusty No.4 that has become synonymous with his LN4 branding in order to avoid confusion and allow drivers to be correctly identified during the post-season tests at the Yas Marina Circuit when out on track.

The Brit was originally unsure whether he would even opt to use the No.1 on the grid next season and admitted that he had considered following in the footsteps of Lewis Hamilton by sticking with his personal number even after winning the title.

But now, Norris has confirmed he will use the No.1 next season and is likely to debut it at the pre-season tests in 2026.

Speaking earlier this week following his maiden title triumph, Norris said he would run the No.1 on his car next season as a tribute to his mechanics and the team who helped him clinch the title.

"It's tradition," he said. "It's there for a reason. It's there because you can go and try grab it and you can work hard to try and get it.

"All of us as a team that gets to have a role in McLaren, or my car, will get to wear that with pride. It's all my mechanics, my engineers, everyone that's part of McLaren gets to have that acknowledgement too.

"So it's not for me, it's for them as well. It's their pride, knowing that they put a lot of work and effort into everything that they can also go 'we're number one'. It's not as cool when you say 'we are number four' so they will be even happier than I am!"

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