Lando Norris has spoken of his "honour" and pride at being able to carry the #1 in 2026 as the reigning world champion.
Norris will lose the right to carry the #1 for the 2027 season as Kimi Antonelli has succeeded him as champion, with the Italian now having the opportunity to carry the only driver number not freely available and reserved for the champion.
However, Antonelli has confirmed that he will not run the #1 in 2027, preferring to stick with his personal driver number of #12.
Since driver numbers were standardised in 1974, and personal numbers were introduced in 2014, only Lewis Hamilton has not run the #1 as reigning world champion who defended their title, preferring to carry the #44 during his title-winning years at Mercedes. He did run the #1 in 2009 at McLaren.
Reflecting on his year carrying the #1, Norris, the 35th champion, who is to revert to his personal number of #4 in 2027, spoke of his pride at handing the number over to Antonelli, even if the 36th champion won't be using it.
"I'm happy to see it go to someone who deserves it, and Kimi has done an incredible job this season, so I'm very happy that it will go, let's say, towards his hands, whether he uses it or not. I don't know," Norris told media, including RacingNews365, of the #1.
"He has plenty of years, a lot more years than I do, to try and get it again in his future, so of course it's been more about how it makes you feel than anything.
"I don't think physically it really does anything, but the mentality side, the feeling of going out there, knowing that I'm a world champion, knowing that I'm on not a long list, but a list of unbelievable drivers and drivers that I looked up to when I was a child, the honour of seeing my name alongside Max [Verstappen] and Lewis [Hamilton] and so many of the people that have made the sport such a success, that makes you feel special.
"That makes you feel things that nothing else really in the world makes you feel. So that's something I'm very, very proud of."
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Feeling of the number 1
Norris then expanded further on the honour of carrying the #1, and how he and team reflected on the journey to be able to hold the number.
"I think it's something that we all, as a team, are very, very proud of, so it's not only the personal achievement of doing it, but it's also the achievement of the success with my team, the people that I worked with to achieve it," he continued.
"Every time we can see the number one on the car, it just is a nice reminder for us. I don't think it changes anything. It doesn't make you think you're better than you are. It doesn't make you feel like anything you deserve anything more.
"I think we understand that as a team, but it makes you proud of the achievements and the hard work that you put in through your whole life.
"So it's more of a positive reminder than anything else. So of course, it is a shame to see it go, but at the same time, I'm happy to see it go to someone who deserves it."
Also interesting:
Join RacingNews365's Ian Parkes, Samuel Coop and Nick Golding as they look back on Mexico City but also look ahead to this weekend's São Paulo Grand Prix! Kimi Antonelli become world champion is a lead discussion, as is the latest Ferrari drama!
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