If he doesn’t become champion, Max Verstappen hopes to race with number 3 next season. This number is currently ‘in use’ by Daniel Ricciardo, who no longer races in Formula 1, and new rules regarding starting numbers may potentially aid Verstappen.
Verstappen has been racing with number 1 on the Red Bull car since 2022. As a world champion, you have the right to use this number, and the Dutchman has done so after each of his four titles. If he doesn’t become champion this year, Verstappen will have to choose a different number next season. A ‘return’ to 33 seems logical, but nothing could be further from the truth: number 3 is the number he used to race with frequently and preferred before his F1 career.
“I’ll see what it will be in the winter. You need approval for number 3, it’s not available now because of Daniel,” Verstappen knows. “But it is my favorite number, so we’ll have to see if that’s possible.”
A rookie in F1 cannot choose a number that has been used in the past two seasons, nor can Verstappen as an experienced driver. However, a new rule to be introduced that makes it easier to release numbers is likely to help him. Approval for an F1 rule change in this regard is expected after this season.
A return to 33 is not on the cards in advance, unless it is because 3 is not going ahead. Verstappen: “And there are more numbers that I like. 27 for example, but Nico Hülkenberg is already racing with that. Those 2 and 7 go well together, I think. It looks nice, just like the number 3.”
And who knows, it might still be number 1. But then Verstappen would have to become world champion. With three GPs to go (Las Vegas, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi) and a deficit of 49 points, that will be quite a challenge.
