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Newly crowned Formula 1 world champion Lando Norris is wasting no time returning to the cockpit. Just two days after securing his maiden title at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the McLaren driver is back at the Yas Marina Circuit for a post-season tyre test featuring Pirelli’s compounds for the 2026 F1 regulations.
Norris, who clinched the championship in a tense three-way showdown involving teammate Oscar Piastri and former champion Max Verstappen, is scheduled to complete a half-day program before swapping over with Piastri after lunch. McLaren is one of ten teams participating in Tuesday’s extensive testing schedule, designed to help Pirelli fine-tune its tyres ahead of the sport’s next regulatory cycle.
While Norris and Piastri return to the track, Verstappen will not take part in Red Bull’s running. Instead, his 2026 teammate Isack Hadjar—recently confirmed to replace Yuki Tsunoda—will be behind the wheel for the entire day. Hadjar’s promotion has been one of the major driver-market stories ahead of the 2026 season, and Tuesday’s test will be his first significant outing in Red Bull machinery.
Another rising talent, Arvid Lindblad, recently announced as a Racing Bulls recruit, will also join the test as teams take advantage of the opportunity to give young drivers valuable track time.
At Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton will shoulder the full-day testing program alone, despite his well-known dislike for testing. Hamilton endured a difficult first season with Ferrari—his first winless and podium-less campaign since joining Formula 1—and is looking to reset mentally before preparations begin for 2026. The seven-time world champion revealed plans for a two-week “digital detox” to disconnect from the intensity of F1 before regrouping for next year.
Testing Format and Purpose
Tuesday’s test includes all ten teams from the 2024 season, each running two cars:
- A 2025-spec car assigned to a young driver who has started no more than two Formula 1 races
- A modified “mule” car, adapted to simulate 2026 aerodynamic and tyre requirements, driven by regular race drivers such as Norris, Hamilton and Hadjar
The mule cars will help Pirelli gather early data on how its new tyre profiles interact with the upcoming regulations, which are expected to reshape car behaviour, weight distribution, and energy management.
Norris Switching to No.1 for 2026
In addition to testing duties, Norris has confirmed that he will run the iconic No.1 on his McLaren for the 2026 Formula 1 season. The number has traditionally been reserved for reigning champions, but since the introduction of permanent driver numbers in 2014, each champion has had the choice of either using No.1 or keeping their career-long number.
Lewis Hamilton famously stuck with his trademark No.44 even during his championship-winning seasons, while Max Verstappen has proudly carried No.1 for four consecutive years. Norris, however, sees the switch as a symbolic tribute to the team who helped deliver McLaren’s long-awaited title.
“It’s tradition,” Norris told Sky Sports. “It’s there for a reason. You work hard to try and get it. And for me, it’s not just for myself. It’s for the whole team—the mechanics, the engineers—everyone who contributed to making this possible. They get to wear that number too.”
Norris added that “saying ‘we’re number one’ means something,” joking that “it’s not as cool to say we’re number four.” After securing the title in Abu Dhabi, Norris was required to submit his decision on the following day and believes his car will already carry the new number during Tuesday’s testing laps.
Verstappen Eyes a Number Change of His Own
Meanwhile, Max Verstappen has revealed he wants to switch to No.3 for the 2026 season, pending approval from the FIA. Although he originally raced with No.33, Verstappen says No.3 holds personal significance—but it was unavailable when he debuted because Daniel Ricciardo had already claimed it.
If the FIA allows the switch, Verstappen will become one of the few drivers to change numbers mid-career under the permanent-number rules introduced in 2014.
A Brief Look Back at F1 Numbering History
Before 2014, F1 allocated numbers based on teams rather than drivers. The reigning champion always ran No.1, with his teammate taking No.2. The rest of the grid followed ascending order according to the previous season’s constructors’ standings.
Between 1974 and 1995, certain teams developed iconic long-term number pairings:
- Ferrari used No.11 and No.12 from 1974–1979
- After Jody Scheckter won the 1979 title, Ferrari ran No.1 and No.2 in 1980
- In 1981, Ferrari moved to the famous No.27 and No.28, numbers they kept until 1995 except for 1990, when champion Alain Prost arrived from McLaren and again brought No.1 and No.2
Before 1974, race promoters assigned numbers on an event-by-event basis, meaning teams often changed numbers from race to race.
