F1 2026 driver numbers: Who runs which number and why?

Q: What is the significance of permanent numbers in Formula 1?

Permanent numbers in Formula 1 help fans easily recognize drivers, as they are fixed rather than assigned based on championship standings.

Q: Why can drivers now change their race numbers in F1?

A recent rule change allows drivers to submit requests to change their race numbers, a privilege previously reserved for the world champion.

Q: Who is Max Verstappen and what number change did he request?

Max Verstappen is a Formula 1 driver who has utilized the new rule to request a change to his race number for the upcoming season.

Q: What are the race numbers for the 2026 Formula 1 season?

The race numbers for the 2026 Formula 1 season are fixed for each driver, with many having personal stories or significance behind their choices.

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Every Formula 1 driver races with a fixed number. The series introduced the concept of permanent numbers in 2014 to make drivers more recognisable to fans on track, as numbers were previously assigned based on the final standings in the world championship.

For many years, only the world champion was allowed to change their race number: they were given the option to swap their permanent number for the iconic #1. All other drivers had to stick with the number they had originally chosen. However, following a recent rule change, other drivers can now also submit a request to change their number – something Max Verstappen has already made use of.

For many drivers, there is a nice story behind their chosen race number. It may be their lucky number, or it may hold special memories. In this article, we run through all the race numbers for the 2026 Formula 1 season and the explanations behind them.

The 2026 Formula 1 driver race numbers

| | | | 1 | Lando Norris | | 3 | Max Verstappen | | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | | 6 | Isack Hadjar | | 10 | Pierre Gasly | | 11 | Sergio Perez | | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | | 14 | Fernando Alonso | | 16 | Charles Leclerc | | 18 | Lance Stroll | | 23 | Alex Albon | | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | | 30 | Liam Lawson | | 31 | Esteban Ocon | | 41 | Arvid Lindblad | | 43 | Franco Colapinto | | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | | 55 | Carlos Sainz | | 63 | George Russell | | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | | 81 | | | 87 | |

Lando Norris

Lando Norris, McLaren

Race number: 1
Team: McLaren

As reigning world champion, Lando Norris has the right to choose to race with the number 1. After clinching his first world title in Abu Dhabi 2025, that is exactly what he decided to do. The Brit has therefore swapped his usual #4 for number 1, which he has taken over from Max Verstappen after four years.

That was a logical choice for Norris. “The number is there for a reason: you have to fight for it, work hard to earn it. Everyone at McLaren – my mechanics, my engineers, everyone who is part of the team – can wear that number with pride too,” he explained to Sky Sports at the end of 2025.

Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Race number: 3
Team: Red Bull

Max Verstappen had to give up the number 1 at the end of 2025. A return to #33 seemed the obvious option, but in 2026 the four-time world champion has #3 on his Red Bull RB22 instead. He has taken over that number from Daniel Ricciardo, who left Formula 1 in mid-2024.

Until 2025, drivers were required to use the same race number throughout their careers. Verstappen was able to switch to #3 is due to a change in the regulations. Drivers can now submit a request and, if it is approved, they are allowed to change. Verstappen also received Ricciardo’s approval, as the Australian technically retained the rights to the number until mid-2026.

It is not particularly surprising that Verstappen switched to number 3. It was his lucky number when he was younger, and for that reason he had always wanted to use it in Formula 1, but Ricciardo already had it. “Number 33 was always fine, but I simply think one 3 looks better than two 3s,” he explained to Viaplay at the end of 2025. “Of course I always said it stood for double luck, but I’ve already had my luck in Formula 1.”

Gabriel Bortoleto

Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team

Race number: 5
Team: Audi

Gabriel Bortoleto chose number 5 for his debut in 2025. This number was used for many years by former world champion Sebastian Vettel. The reason Bortoleto picked #5 is very simple: he won the FIA Formula 3 championship in 2023 with that same number.

Isack Hadjar

Race number: 6
Team: Red Bull

Red Bull driver Isack Hadjar races with #6. He has often used that number in the past and therefore has good memories of it. He was already racing with #6 in his early karting days, and his promotion to F1 means it is the first time in history that a race number has been used by three different drivers, with Nico Rosberg and Nicholas Latifi having previously raced with it.

Pierre Gasly

Pierre Gasly, Alpine

Race number: 10
Team: Alpine

Alpine driver Pierre Gasly carries the permanent race number 10. With that number, the Frenchman won the Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup title in 2013. He is also a big fan of footballer Zinedine Zidane, who wore number 10 for France.

Sergio Perez

Race number: 11
Team: Cadillac

Sergio Perez returned to Formula 1 in 2026 with his regular number 11. The Cadillac driver has used 11 since 2014 and also raced with it earlier in karting. The motivation behind that choice is that Perez was a big fan of footballer Ivan Zamorano, who wore shirt number 11 for Mexican club CF America for one season.

Kimi Antonelli

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Race number: 12
Team: Mercedes

Mercedes talent Kimi Antonelli made his Formula 1 debut with number 12. “There are several nice numbers, but 12 is a special one. That’s because of an idol. I’ve also raced with it myself ever since F4. It always went well with #12, so I see no reason to change it.” The idol in question is Ayrton Senna, the legendary Brazilian raced with #12 between 1985 and his title-winning 1988 season.

Fernando Alonso

Race number: 14
Team: Aston Martin

Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso uses number 14, which dates back to an event from long ago. On 14 July 1996, at the age of 14, he became karting world champion in a kart carrying number 14. “From that moment on, I knew #14 was my number,” he previously remarked.

Charles Leclerc

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

Race number: 16
Team: Ferrari

Charles Leclerc races in Formula 1 with the permanent number 16. The Ferrari driver was born on 16 October 1997. His first choice was lucky number 7, but that was already taken by Kimi Raikkonen. He then wanted #10, but his good friend Pierre Gasly was already using it. After a simple calculation, he arrived at #16: “Because 1 plus 6 is 7,” he explained.

Lance Stroll

Race Number: 18
Team: Aston Martin

Lance Stroll races his Aston Martin with number 18. In the early days of his career, he won the Italian Formula 4 championship with that number, and he also made his Formula 1 debut for Williams shortly after his 18th birthday. “I’m a little superstitious, but I like holding on to small things that are important to me. I don’t want to change those,” the Canadian said.

Alex Albon

Alexander Albon, Williams

Race number: 23
Team: Williams

Alex Albon returned to Formula 1 in 2022 after a season away. He kept number 23, on his return, which he had also used during the first phase of his F1 career. In the sporting world, this is an iconic number. Basketball players LeBron James and Michael Jordan wore it, as did footballer David Beckham. Like fellow driver Lando Norris, Albon is a big fan of Valentino Rossi. In karting, the British-Thai driver raced with Rossi’s #46, but for Formula 1 he decided to take half of that number.

Nico Hulkenberg

Race number: 27
Team: Audi

Since his full-time F1 return in 2023, Nico Hulkenberg has once again used number 27 – which he also used during his earlier stint in in the series. There is no particularly special story behind the choice: if you add together the day and month of his birthday, you get 27 – 19 August.

Liam Lawson

Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls

Race number: 30
Team: Racing Bulls

Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson races with number 30. He explains: “I’ve been racing with that number since I was eight. It wasn’t my very first number, that was 18. But in my first year of racing karts, there was someone at the team who really took me under his wing. He became my hero, my idol, when I was still a little kid. He raced with number 30. Because of him, I chose that race number too. He taught me everything about karting when I was young. I’ve basically used that number ever since.”

Esteban Ocon

Race number: 31
Team: Haas

Esteban Ocon uses number 31. The French F1 driver won his first karting title with that number in 2007, which he still sees as one of the best years of his career. He also used #31 when he made his Formula 1 test debut for Lotus in October 2014.

Arvid Lindblad

Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls

Race number: 41
Team: Racing Bulls

Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad became the first F1 driver to choose permanent race number 41 in 2026. The reason is twofold: on the one hand, the Brit wanted a unique number that is rarely used in sport, and #41 also resembles the initials of his name (AL).

Franco Colapinto

Race number: 43
Team: Alpine

Franco Colapinto has raced with number 43 since making his F1 debut in 2024. Among motorsport fans, that number became famous through the late Ken Block, but the Argentine had different reasons for choosing it: his father used to race with it. Colapinto himself also won titles in karting and Spanish Formula 4 in 2018 and 2019 with #43 on the car.

Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

Race number: 44
Team: Ferrari

Seven-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton races with number 44. The Brit used that number in his first karting races. At the time, the young Lewis did not know which race number to choose, so he took the number from his father’s car registration: F44. With that number he laid the foundations for his successful career and therefore wanted to use it in Formula 1 as well. Even in the years when, as world champion, he had the right to race with #1, Hamilton stuck with his trusted #44.

Carlos Sainz

Race number: 55
Team: Williams

Carlos Sainz chose number 55. “The S in my first name looks like a five and the S in my surname does too, so that makes #55,” which also creates a handy hashtag: #Carlo55ainz. On top of that, five is his favourite number, but that was already taken by Sebastian Vettel. This self-invented wordplay led him to 55.

George Russell

George Russell, Mercedes

Race number: 63
Team: Mercedes

George Russell uses number 63, which also has its roots in the past: “My brother always karted with number 63, so since then it has become our family number,” the Briton previously explained. With a bit of creativity, 63 can also be read as GR, which are the Mercedes driver’s initials. Others see it as GB, standing for Great Britain.

Valtteri Bottas

Race number: 77
Team: Cadillac

Number 77 has belonged to Valtteri Bottas since 2014, and the Finn continues to use it upon his return to the grid with Cadillac in 2026. Initially, he had looked at number seven, but ultimately opted for the double seven.

“At first I thought I would go for seven, but in the end I decided 77 actually looked quite good,” Bottas once explained. “I just think it’s a nice number. I’m not really superstitious or anything like that.”

Oscar Piastri

Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Race number: 81
Team: McLaren

Oscar Piastri has chosen permanent race number 81. He had already used that number in his karting years. The Australian started karting in his home country with #11. When he moved up the karting ladder, he was forced to give up 11 because another driver was already using it. Piastri then chose #81. In the junior formula categories in Europe, he raced with various numbers, although he did again use 81 in British F4 and the Formula Renault Northern European Cup.

Oliver Bearman

Race number: 87
Team: Haas

Haas driver Oliver Bearman opted for a high race number: 87. There is a family reason behind it, as the Brit explained: “I’ve raced with this number for many years, because my father was born on 8 May and my brother on 7 August. So, 87 is my favourite number.”

Which race number cannot be used in Formula 1?

Jules Bianchi, Marussia MR03

In Formula 1, race number 17 can no longer be used. Jules Bianchi raced with that number at the time of his serious accident at Suzuka in 2014, and he later died from the injuries sustained in that crash. As a tribute, Formula 1 retired that race number.

How long does a driver retain the right to an F1 race number?

A driver who leaves the series can lay claim to their old race number for two years in the event of a comeback. During that period, the number cannot be used by another driver. That is how Alonso was able to return after two seasons away and choose #14 again, and why Albon is back with #23 and Hulkenberg with #27.

When a driver returns after a longer absence, they have to choose a race number again. That can be their old number, provided it is still available. If it is not, then they have to pick a completely new one.

These are the numbers that cannot be used in 2026.

| | | | 2 | Logan Sargeant | Mid-2026 | | 7 | Jack Doohan | Mid-2027 | | 17 | Jules Bianchi | Permanently retired | | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | End of 2026 | | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | End of 2027 | | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | End of 2026 |

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