Four-time Formula One champion Max Verstappen, hinted at his possible umber switch in the upcoming season after McLaren’s Lando Norris pipped out the Red Bull star to the title in dramatic fashion at the Abu Dhabi GP.
Norris is set to take the ‘No.1’ honour following his maiden title, and Verstappen hinted at making the switch to the No.3 in the 2026 campaign.
‘My favorite number has always been 3, besides 1. Daniel Ricciardo always had it but we’re allowed to switch now. 33 was always fine but I think one 3 is prettier than two 3s, always said it was for double luck but I already had that in F1 so we don’t really need to think about that anymore,’ the four-time champion said.
”69 is also a beautiful number! but whenever i mention it in an interview
and it gets out Kelly’s like what the hell are you talking about now, did you have to say that?”
Norris amassed 423 points over the season, surpassing Verstappen’s 421 points for Red Bull, thus claiming the championship crown. Norris acknowledged the addictive taste of victory but added he seeks to enjoy the moment instead of getting ahead of himself.
Despite Verstappen’s determined effort to erode Norris’s 102-point lead from earlier in the season, the Brit ultimately triumphed after a strong performance throughout the year. In stark contrast, Norris’s fellow Briton, Hamilton, faced his first season without a podium finish during his debut campaign with Ferrari.
The seven-time champion’s impressive record in the top tier suffered a significant blow as he replaced Carlos Sainz at Ferrari. Meanwhile, Sainz elevated Williams to a fifth-place finish in the championship, securing two podium finishes and helping the team to accumulate 137 points by the year’s end.
Sainz has a history of improving the teams he races for. During his time with Renault, he saw the team rise from ninth place in his debut season in 2016 to fourth place by 2018. With McLaren, he helped the team move from sixth place in 2018 to third in 2020. His subsequent move to Ferrari saw him assist the legendary team in climbing from sixth place to second before his departure last year.
