"I just like it better," says Max Verstappen as Lando Norris now takes the coveted number 1.

Prior to winning his first title the Dutchman raced with the number 33, with 3 used by his Red Bull teammate Daniel Ricciardo.

Though the Australian has effectively retired from F1 he was allowed to retain the rights to the number for two more seasons, but the World Motor sport Council recently waived that rule and Verstappen was keen to take advantage.

"It won't be number 33," he told Viaplay when asked what his race number would be in 2026. "My favourite number has always been 3, apart from number 1. We can now swap, so it'll be number 3.

"Number 33 was always fine, but I just like one 3 better than two," he admitted. "I always said it represented double luck, but I've already had my luck in Formula 1."

The rules relating to race numbers have been further relaxed in that drivers no longer have to use the same number for their entire (F1) career and may change.

Drivers sporting the number 3 have only twice gone on to win the title, Jacques Villeneuve in 1997 and Michael Schumacher in 2000, the year in which the German won the first of his five titles with Ferrari.