Max Verstappen wants the ‘3’. Daniel Ricciardo’s ‘3’.
With the FIA set to confirm 2026 driver numbers on December 20, the three-time champion is weighing a switch away from his long-time ‘33’ — and the number he’s eyeing is the one that became part of Ricciardo’s identity through the hybrid era.
Here’s the twist: under the current rules, ‘3’ still belongs to Ricciardo until the end of 2026. Since 2014, drivers have carried permanent numbers for their F1 careers, with the reigning champion allowed to run ‘1’ if they choose. The FIA has discussed loosening that rigidity, paving the way for mid-career changes — but there’s etiquette involved, and, in this case, a very public piece of driver branding.
Verstappen has already said he’s not keen to go back to ‘33’ and that ‘3’ is his first choice for 2026. That aligns with a recent GT3 outing in Portugal where the Dutchman ran with a big ‘3’ on the doors, a not-so-subtle tell that he’s pushing in that direction. The number isn’t just neat symmetry; it also connects Verstappen to his karting roots and fits his clean, minimalist branding better than a busy double-digit.
Ricciardo, of course, put ‘3’ on the map in modern F1. The Honey Badger picked it as a nod to NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt, and he even drove Earnhardt’s Wrangler-liveried No. 3 Chevrolet at COTA in 2021 after winning a bet with then-McLaren boss Zak Brown. It’s been printed on caps, stitched into race suits, and flashed on the Pirelli podium backdrop more than a few times. It’s Ricciardo’s number in the way ‘44’ is Lewis Hamilton’s and ‘14’ is Fernando Alonso’s — it carries a story.
And yet the sands have shifted. Ricciardo’s split from the Red Bull fold at the end of 2024 brought a natural pause to the ‘3’ in F1. While the number remains reserved to him under FIA convention until the end of 2026, PlanetF1’s reporting indicated he’s open to relinquishing his claim if Verstappen really wants it. Officially, Ricciardo isn’t commenting — the matter is being handled via Red Bull channels — but the mood music suggests no one’s digging in for a fight over a decal.
There’s also the Max factor. When Verstappen uses a number, it tends to define an era. He took ‘1’ and made it cool again; for a generation of fans, that championship digit became synonymous with orange smoke and a national anthem on loop. If he switches to ‘3’, it’ll instantly become the hottest number on the grid — provided the FIA’s revised approach to permanent numbers rubber-stamps the change and Ricciardo gives the nod.
If it doesn’t go Verstappen’s way, there are alternatives. ‘27’ caught his eye — already taken by Nico Hülkenberg — and he even joked about ‘69’ (quickly vetoed by Jos in classic Verstappen family fashion). But you get the sense this isn’t a scattergun search. It’s ‘3’ or bust.
For Ricciardo loyalists, there’s comfort in the lineage. Numbers in F1 have a way of moving on while keeping their history intact. ‘3’ would bring Ricciardo’s Earnhardt homage into Verstappen’s title-chasing orbit — a handover rather than a hijack. And if anyone’s going to keep a number front-and-centre on Sunday afternoons, it’s the guy who’s been the sport’s pacing reference for years.
The decision lands in the winter paperwork. The FIA’s expected confirmation of 2026 entries and race numbers will settle it: Verstappen’s car will either carry ‘33’ again, a fresh selection under the updated rules, or, if all parties are aligned, the most talked-about single digit in the paddock.
Either way, one thing’s certain: when Max picks a number, it doesn’t sit quietly on a press release. It becomes part of the show. And if that number is ‘3’, an old story gets a new chapter.
