P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Max Verstappen has revealed that he will be using a completely different racing number in the 2026 F1 season.
Max Verstappen announced that he will be using a different racing number in the 2026 Formula 1 season, moving away from the number one he had used since winning the championship in 2021. Following his loss of the championship to Lando Norris this season, he decided not to return to his previous number ’33’. Verstappen explained that ‘3’ had always been his favorite number, but he had added an extra 3 to avoid using the same number as his former teammate Daniel Ricciardo. Now that Ricciardo has retired, the FIA has approved Verstappen to switch back to his preferred number ‘3’ for the upcoming season. This change signifies a new chapter for Verstappen in his F1 career.
