Motorsports
New No. 1 and Rookie’s Pick. Drivers decide on numbers for 2026 F1 season
Changes in Formula 1 next season will affect not only the composition of the drivers in the starting grid, but also the race numbers of individual participants. The FIA has released an official image containing the numbers for all drivers in the championship.
The main news was that the owner of the first number had changed; It will not be driven by Max Verstappen for the first time since 2022. The “unit” for his car was chosen by Lando Norris, who will become champion for the first time in the 2025 season. Verstappen settled on number 3 instead; It was the number the Dutch pilot wanted to get at the beginning of his career, but it was later taken by Daniel Ricciardo.
Among other changes, young Red Bull driver Arvid Lindblad stands out, choosing the number 41. The remaining drivers remained at their usual numbers, especially Cadillac drivers Sergio Perez (11) and Valtteri Bottas (77), who missed the 2025 season. The full list of rooms is shown in the image below.
Source: Sport UA
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