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Important news in Verstappen's pursuit of his preferred race number

Max Verstappen is just a step away from landing his favourite number three on his Red Bull Racing car for the 2026 season after the FIA confirmed to GPblog this Thursday that the new race number rules have now been finalised.

The Dutchman will no longer be able to race with the number one emblazoned on his machine in 2026 after Lando Norris became World Champion.

However, from next season, Formula 1 drivers will be allowed to change their race numbers during their careers, and after Verstappen already confirmed that he does not wish to return to his original number 33, the 28-year-old is now very close to changing his number.

Max Verstappen missed out on the World Championship by just two points behind Lando Norris - Photo: Race Pictures

McLaren, Williams and Alpine face Mercedes' axe

A review of Mercedes' power unit supply will take place, according to CEO, team principal and co-owner Toto Wolff.

For the 2026 season, McLaren, Williams and Alpine are set to have engines from the German team in their machines, with Aston Martin moving to Honda engines in 2026.

However, Wolff stated Mercedes may be looking to cut a team or two from its list of F1 customers.

“Our current mindset is, also discussing with Ola, that we will reduce the number of teams we’re going to supply in the next cycle,” the Austrian told the Beyond the Grid podcast, noting that “between two and three” customer teams would be the sweet spot.

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