Lando Norris not allowed to change F1 numbers

McLaren standout Lando Norris may be Formula 1’s newest world champion, but that doesn’t automatically give him the right to use the No. 1 race number currently held by Max Verstappen - or at least not just yet.

The Red Bull driver secured four straight world titles from 2021 onward, giving him the privilege of running the No. 1 on his car and team gear for the last four seasons.

However, after missing out on a fifth title by just two points at last weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Verstappen must now hand that honor over 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?

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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