F1 champion Lando Norris to drive with No 1 on his McLaren in 2026

McLaren driver Lando Norris celebrates winning the world championship at the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit. All images Chris Whiteoak / The National

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen during the race at Yas Marina Circuit

McLaren driver Lando Norris finished third in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to win the 2025 drivers' championship at the Yas Marina Circuit

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen celebrates winning the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Max Verstappen en route to winning the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit

McLaren's Lando Norris during the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit. All images Chris Whiteoak / The National

Start of the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit

Max Verstappen at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen has his picture taken with the rest of the team at the Yas Marina Circuit ahead of the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

A flypast before the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

McLaren driver Lando Norris at the drivers' parade at Yas Marina Circuit

Alpine driver Pierre Gasly and Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen with the rest of the team in Abu Dhabi

Mercedes driver George Russell before the drivers' parade

Aston Matin's Fernando Alonso and Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli

Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto and Haas driver Oliver Bearman

The Red Bull team move Max Verstappen's car on race day at Yas Marina Circuit

McLaren engineers work on the car on Sunday

Visitors arrive for race day at the Yas Marina Circuit

A fan looks at the world championship trophy at Yas Marina Circuit

Fans arrive for the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Nico Rosberg and Martin Brundle

Oscar Piastri ahead of the race

Social media creator Khaby Lame in the paddock at Yas Marina Circuit

Terry Crews and Ronaldinho in Abu Dhabi

Newly crowned Formula One world champion Lando Norris confirmed that he will drive with the No 1 on his McLaren in 2026.

The ⁠traditional honour is reserved for the reigning ​world champion, a distinction Norris claimed a maiden drivers' title at Sunday's Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Norris headed into Sunday's season finale in a three-way battle for the title with Red Bull's reigning four-time champion and McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri.

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Though Verstappen won Sunday's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Norris claimed the title by just two ​points with his third-place finish behind Piastri.

Norris, 26, typically races with the No 4 on the nose of his car. But the Briton gladly will accept the honour of donning the No ‌1 next season.

"It's tradition, it's there for a reason," Norris told Sky Sports News. "It's there because you ‍can go and try grab ‍it and you can work hard to try and get it."

Having the defending champion race with ⁠the No 1 on their car was mandatory until 2014 when drivers had the option of keeping their previous number. Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has been the only driver to decline the option during that time, choosing to stick with his No 44.

"All of us as a team that gets to have a role in McLaren, or my car, will get to wear that with pride," Norris said. "It's all my mechanics, my engineers, everyone that's part of McLaren gets to have that acknowledgement, too.

"So, it's not for me, it's for them as well. It's their pride, knowing that they put a lot of work and effort into everything that they can also go, 'We're No 1'.

"It's not as cool when you say, 'We are No 4.' So they ⁠will be even happier than I am!"

Verstappen, who has raced as No ​1 since 2022, does not yet ‍know if he will return to the No 33 he raced with previously. The Dutchman said he would have chosen his ⁠favourite No ‌3 when he arrived in F1, but the number was taken at the time by Daniel Ricciardo.

The current ⁠rule states that a number must have been out of F1 for at ⁠least two years before it is used by another driver. So, Verstappen would need to seek permission from Ricciardo, with the Australian having last used the number in 2024.

Norris entered the season finale needing to finish in the top three in the race at the Yas Marina Circuit. In doing so, he finished the season with seven Grand Prix wins in 24 events, while Verstappen won eight. Norris had 18 podium finishes and seven poles.

He is the first McLaren driver to win the F1 championship since Hamilton did so with his first title in 2008. He is the 11th world champion from Britain.