New car, new season — and now a brand-new number.
Reigning Formula 1 world champion Lando Norris has officially confirmed he’ll run the iconic number 1 on his McLaren in 2026.
The number is a privilege reserved only for the defending champion, and until now, it had been firmly in the grip of Max Verstappen, who carried it from 2021 through 2025.
Norris, who usually races with his familiar No. 4, earned the right to switch after snatching the 2025 title by just two points in a nail-biting Abu Dhabi finale.
It’ll be LN1 for Lando next year 🏆☝️ pic.twitter.com/EnkchD3hey
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) December 8, 2025
Speaking to Sky Sports, the 26-year-old Brit said taking No. 1 wasn’t just personal pride — it was a tribute to McLaren.
“It’s tradition,
it’s there for a reason. You can go and try to grab it and work hard to try and get it,” Norris said.
“Everyone who has a role in McLaren — my mechanics, my engineers — they all get to wear that with pride. It’s not just for me, it’s for them. They can say, ‘we’re number one’. It’s not as cool when you say ‘we are number four’, so they’ll be even happier than I am!”
Since F1 introduced permanent driver numbers in 2014, only one world champion — Lewis Hamilton — has chosen not to use No. 1, sticking instead with his trademark 44. Verstappen previously raced under 33 before adopting No. 1; whether he returns to it in 2026 remains to be seen.
For McLaren and Norris, the upcoming season marks a fresh chapter: a title-winning driver, a new challenger car, and the sport’s most coveted digit painted across the nose.
Norris will roll into pre-season testing not just as champion, but as Car No. 1 — and with a team ready to defend that status.
