A new era for McLaren: the British driver officially swaps his signature #4 for the champion-only number 1.

Lando Norris closed out 2025 as the 35th Formula 1 World Champion, and his first major decision as the reigning title holder is now official: he will race with number 1 in the 2026 season, a number exclusively reserved for the current World Champion. The McLaren driver temporarily steps away from his long-standing number 4 to embrace a symbol loaded with prestige, a number last held by Max Verstappen for four consecutive seasons.

Norris clinched his maiden championship by the slimmest margin, just two points, after securing a podium in the Abu Dhabi finale. Speaking to the press, he explained why the number matters: “It’s tradition. It’s there for a reason. It’s there because you can go and try to grab it, and you can work hard to try to get it.”

For Norris, the number 1 goes beyond personal pride. It’s a tribute to the entire McLaren crew. “Everyone gets to wear it with pride — my mechanics, my engineers… it’s their acknowledgment too,” he said. He even joked about the comparison to his usual number: “It’s not as cool when you say ‘we are number four’. They’ll be even happier than I am!”

Since 2014, drivers have been able to select a permanent race number for their careers, although the number 1 is always made available to the World Champion. Lewis Hamilton remains the only modern champion who chose to decline it, keeping his iconic 44 instead. Verstappen abandoned his original 33 after earning the title in 2021 but hasn’t yet confirmed whether he plans to reclaim it for 2026.

With the announcement, Norris heads into next year with a new car, a new number, and a new level of confidence — the kind that comes only with being Formula 1’s reigning World Champion.