Lando Norris has confirmed he’ll use the #1 quantity on his McLaren automobile when he begins to defend his F1 title in 2026.
The 26-year-old Briton clinched his first world championship title on Sunday with a third-place end in a tense remaining race of the season, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Norris gained the world title by simply two factors over Pink Bull’s Max Verstappen, who took his eighth win of the season at Yas Marina.
After profitable the title, Norris had the choice of racing as number one or sticking with quantity 4, which he has worn since his F1 debut in 2019.
Norris has opted to make the change, which suggests he’ll take Verstappen’s No. 1 jersey from him subsequent season.
“It is a custom. It is there for a cause. It is there as a result of you may go and seize it and you’re employed laborious to get it,” Norris informed Sky Sports activities Information.
“Everybody at McLaren, or any staff that has performed a job in my automobile, will put on it with satisfaction. Will probably be acknowledged by all my mechanics, engineers and everybody who’s a part of McLaren.”
“So it is not only for me, it is for them too. It is their satisfaction they usually put a lot effort and energy into the whole lot that they know they are often primary too. It isn’t that cool to say ‘we’re primary’ in order that they’ll be even happier than me!”
Verstappen has been primary in his personal automobile since 2022, however misplaced that privilege when Norris ended his four-year reign on the prime of F1.
The four-time world champion has strongly hinted that he’ll change his jersey quantity completely.
Verstappen’s chosen shirt quantity was 33, however he has his eye on former Pink Bull teammate Daniel Ricciardo’s outdated No. 3 shirt.
Since F1 launched particular person driver numbers for the 2014 season, Lewis Hamilton is the one world champion to not race carrying the #1 after profitable the Drivers’ World Championship.
Hamilton has worn the quantity 44 jersey since 2014, and solely ran the #1 jersey as soon as throughout Friday apply on the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2018 and 2019.
“I personally do not prefer it, I do not prefer it in any respect,” Hamilton defined of his alternative.
“The explanation I did that’s as a result of I have been right here for six years and I bear in mind when Jenson gained the world title and the staff had the primary, but it surely’s unusual that (he) moved to McLaren and introduced the primary after which McLaren put the primary on the automobile.
“So we have by no means had primary on a automobile since we have been world champions, and we thought it will be cool.”
