Eagle eyed F1 fans spot hidden message in new Max Verstappen number

Composite image of a happy Verstappen with Red Bull and Mercedes logos behind him — Photo: © IMAGO

Max Verstappen

Eagle eyed F1 fans spot hidden message in new Max Verstappen number

Max Verstappen will race with a new number in 2026

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Saturday 20 December 2025 19:43

An eagle-eyed F1 fan on social media spotted a hidden detail in Max Verstappen's new driver number for the 2026 season.

Lando Norris' maiden F1 title means that Verstappen can no longer compete under the number '1' next year, with the McLaren star instead abandoning his customary '4' for the accolade.

Questions then surfaced as to what Verstappen would adopt going forwards, with his previous number being '33' before his first world title in 2021.

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It was announced, however, that Verstappen will compete under Daniel Ricciardo's old number '3' for 2026 in a post-season interview.

The '3' design has since gained traction on social media after Red Bull's senior brand designer Behnaz Shamsini, shared a picture including a hidden detail spotted by an eagle-eyed fan.

Max Verstappen, still number 1?

When the number '3' graphic was flipped upside down, the number '1' could be traced on the inside of the number.

Shamsini neither confirmed nor denied the theory, only sharing it to her Instagram story with a simple sunglasses emoji.

This isn't the first time F1 fans have tried to deduce subtle trolling from Red Bull, and a decision at the 2025 Qatar Grand Prix also prompted claims they were messing with their rivals.

Following a safety car on lap seven, McLaren kept leader Oscar Piastri and Norris out on track while 17 other teams pitted, including Max Verstappen, who essentially gained a free pit stop and won the race.

McLaren's strategy blunder was called into question after the race, but the choice of team personnel to collect the constructors' trophy on the podium in Qatar also caused a stir on social media.

Red Bull's principal strategy engineer Hannah Schmitz hoisted the trophy alongside Verstappen, and to some fans this was a dig towards McLaren's own blunder.

F1 Red Bull Max Verstappen