Just days away from the start of the 2026 F1 season, F1Technical’s senior writer Balazs Szabo reveals the mistery behind the starting numbers each driver will carry into the championship.
Since the introduction of permanent driver numbers in 2014, these digits have become an essential part of Formula One’s identity system, reflecting personal history, branding, and the evolving hierarchy of the sport. The 2026 grid features a compelling blend of continuity and renewal, with each number carrying a story that extends far beyond the cockpit.
At the top of the list sits number 1, which returns for the second consecutive season. Lando Norris, the reigning World Champion, has chosen to race with the champion’s number after securing his first title in 2025.
His decision follows the tradition revived by Max Verstappen, who used number 1 throughout his championship years. Norris’s adoption of the number symbolises both confidence and continuity as McLaren enters the new era with one of the most stable driver pairings on the grid.
Max Verstappen, no longer eligible to use number 1, returns to his long‑standing personal number 3. The number had previously been associated with Daniel Ricciardo, but Ricciardo’s departure from the grid allowed Verstappen to reclaim it with the Australian’s approval. Verstappen’s return to number 3 reconnects him with the identity he carried through his early Formula One career and through much of his junior racing.
Several drivers continue with numbers that have become inseparable from their public identity. Fernando Alonso once again appears with 14, a number he has used since his karting days and which commemorates the date on which he won a world karting title at age 14.
Lewis Hamilton retains 44, the number that originated from his father’s car registration plate and has followed him through every stage of his Formula One career. Charles Leclerc continues with 16, a number chosen to represent his home region of Monaco after his preferred number 7 was unavailable because of Kimi Räikkönen.
Other drivers carry numbers with deeply personal origins. Pierre Gasly’s 10 is a tribute to Zinedine Zidane, his childhood sporting hero. Carlos Sainz continues with 55, a number chosen because the double “S” in his initials resembles two fives.
Alex Albon retains 23, a number inspired by his admiration for Valentino Rossi, whose iconic number 46 is halved in Albon’s choice. Liam Lawson races with 30, a number linked to his early karting mentor, while Oliver Bearman uses 87, a combination of his and his brother’s birth years.
Franco Colapinto selects 43, a number he carried through karting and junior formulas. Arvid Lindblad introduces 41, a number never before used in Formula One, giving Racing Bulls a distinctive visual identity for its young driver lineup.
Cadillac’s debut season brings back two familiar numbers: Sergio Pérez returns with 11, and Valtteri Bottas reappears with 77. Both numbers had been absent during the 2025 season but now return as part of Cadillac’s strategy to anchor its entry with experienced, recognisable drivers. Their pairing gives the new American team one of the most visually striking combinations on the grid.
Audi’s new works team enters with Nico Hülkenberg carrying 20, a number he has used throughout his Formula One career, while Gabriel Bortoleto adopts 5, reviving a number last used by Sebastian Vettel.
The Rules Behind the Numbers
The 2026 starting numbers also reflect the regulatory framework that governs Formula One’s numbering system. Once a driver selects a permanent number, they retain it for their entire career unless they win the World Championship, in which case they may choose to race with number 1 for the following season.
Hamilton famously declined this option during his championship years, preferring to continue with number 44, while Verstappen embraced the tradition from 2022 to 2025. Norris now becomes the latest driver to carry number 1 into a new season.
Two numbers stand apart from the rest. Number 17 is permanently retired in honour of Jules Bianchi, who suffered fatal injuries in a crash during the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix. Nine months after the accident, FIA President Jean Todt announced that number 17 would never again be used in the Formula One World Championship, marking the first and only retirement of a driver number in the sport’s history.
Number 13, meanwhile, remains unused due to long‑standing superstition. Although the permanent‑number system allows any available number between 2 and 99, no driver has yet chosen 13.
Reserve drivers operate under a slightly different system. Each team is allocated a set of temporary numbers to use in the event that one of their permanent drivers must be replaced. These temporary numbers do not become part of a driver’s permanent identity unless they are formally entered into the championship.
Liam Lawson’s trajectory illustrates this distinction clearly. When he substituted for the injured Daniel Ricciardo in 2023, he raced with number 40, one of AlphaTauri’s reserve allocations. However, when he replaced Ricciardo mid‑season in 2024 as a full‑time entrant, he was assigned his permanent number 30, which he continues to use.