Max Verstappen has picked #3 as his race quantity for the 2026 System 1 season, following his title defeat this 12 months.
Verstappen had needed #3 because it was a fortunate quantity to him, but it surely was taken by Daniel Ricciardo when the Dutchman began his F1 profession. Due to this fact, he selected #33 to “add double the luck” and raced with it from 2015 to 2021, when he gained his maiden world title.
The Pink Bull driver went on to make use of #1 within the final 4 seasons because the reigning world champion, however misplaced the 2025 championship struggle to Lando Norris and subsequently has to concede this race quantity – which Norris has claimed.
Theoretically, he ought to have switched again to #33, however the F1 Fee has determined that drivers will now be allowed to alter their race numbers.
One other downside was that #3 belonged to Ricciardo, whose profession resulted in September 2024 and theoretically retained rights over that quantity for 2 years – however the F1 Fee is now permitting drivers to waive these particular rights early.
Daniel Ricciardo, RB F1 Group VCARB 01
Picture by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Pictures
Ricciardo has subsequently authorized Verstappen’s use of #3.
“It will not be quantity 33,” Verstappen stated in his end-of-year interview with Viaplay. “My favorite quantity has all the time been 3, other than no 1. We are able to now swap, so it’ll be quantity 3.
“Quantity 33 was all the time advantageous, however I identical to one 3 higher than two. I all the time stated it represented double luck, however I’ve already had my luck in System 1,” the four-time world champion and 71-time grand prix winner concluded.
Verstappen’s new quantity has been surprisingly unsuccessful in F1 as, since season-long race numbers had been launched within the Nineteen Seventies, it gained simply two world titles with Jacques Villeneuve in 1997 and Michael Schumacher in 2000.
Further reporting by Ronald Vording
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