In Las Vegas Verstappen confessed he was looking into the possibility of racing with the number #3 as of 2026. “I do indeed need to get approval, so it’s a good question which number I’ll be using next year.

"My favorite number is 3, but I still have to wait and see if that’s actually possible and permitted. I’ll see over the winter. In the end, it doesn’t matter that much to me,” Verstappen said, according to De Telegraaf.

The findings of the last F1 Commission meeting of 2025 included the governing body's and F1's inclination to accepting driver number change requests, which had up until now been forced to remain unchanged for the entirety of a driver's career in the sport. Only the world champion had the option to switch numbers, albeit a limited one, since they could only choose #1.

Although Verstappen's favorite number is known to be number 3, it was not available when hejoined the sport in 2015, as it was already in use by former teammate and friend Daniel Ricciardo. With the Australian out of the sport, though, his chances of adding the number to the livery of his car are not altogether certain.

The FIA and F1 must give the green light, as the current rules state that a driver's previous number can only be adopted once they have departed the series for at least two years, which Ricciardo will be shy of by around six months when the 2026 season commences.

Reflecting on his BrazilGP comeback drive, the four-time world champion has assessed his chancesof winning the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Read Verstappen's full comments here.

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