Max Verstappen Set To Race With Number 3 In F1 2026
In his early days, Verstappen reportedly wanted to race with number 3 as he considers it his lucky number.
Red Bull Racing has confirmed four-time F1 World Champion Max Verstappen will drive with the Number 3 for the upcoming 2026 F1 season.
After losing out on the World Drivers' Championship by the narrowest of margins in 2025, Verstappen will no longer be able to drive with Number 1, which is reserved for the F1 champion.
Lando Norris consequently has already announced he will be driving with Number 1 next season.
For the longest time, it was reported that Verstappen would return to Number 33, a number he used during his early days at Red Bull, even winning the title in 2021.
There were even rumours of Verstappen preferring the Number 69, although it was quickly shot down by his father, Jos Verstappen.
Now, Red Bull Racing, in an Instagram post, has confirmed Verstappen will drive with the Number 3, which was previously used by Max's former teammate Daniel Ricciardo.
Although F1 rules state that a number has to remain dormant for at least two years for it to be used again, it appears the F1 commission is allowing drivers waive these specific rights early.
In his early days, Verstappen reportedly wanted to race with number 3 as he considers it his lucky number. But the number was already taken up by Ricciardo at the time. That is why he went for the 'double-luck' by opting for the number 33, reports Autosport.
Ricciardo, who last raced in Sept 2024, has since retired from F1 and will not be racing again, making it easier for Max Verstappen to claim the number 3.
Verstappen will race alongside his new teammate Isack Hadjar for the 2026 season for Red Bull, following the ouster of Yuki Tsunoda.
