Max Verstappen confirmed that he would go racing with No. 1 in 2022, having won the championship a few days ago.
F1 rules state that a champion can race with Numero Uno the season he defends the title in. It is not compulsory, but the exclusive number is available should he need it.
The past few years have not seen the number been used, with Lewis Hamilton sticking to No. 44 and Nico Rosberg retiring after winning the championship. One has to go all the way back to 2014 when Sebastian Vettel had it on his car.
Verstappen confirmed that he would be racing with the No. 1 sticker in 2022, and expressed his excitement at being the only driver who could do it on the grid.
“How many times do you have the opportunity to drive with No 1? And it’s good for merchandise as well, so it’s smart to do that,” Verstappen had told reporters ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Everyday I am shuffling
F1 in 2022 will have several changes on a driver and team level. New faces, new sponsors and new rules will be present in 2022, and it will be an exciting affair to watch.
Guanyu Zhou will join the grid next season, and will race with the No. 24 on his Alfa Romeo. Alex Albon makes his return to F1 after a year away, and will use the No. 23 on his Williams.
When it comes to the teams, Alfa Romeo Racing will be called Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN. Haas will also rebrand themselves as Uralkali Haas F1 Team next year.
Ferrari, meanwhile, will be going back the old Scuderia Ferrari name, dropping Mission Winnow from their car.