Verstappen will drive his car with start number 1 in 2022

Max Verstappen conquered the world title at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon. The Dutchman, therefore, has the right to drive with number 1 on his car and is going to make use of it. He told GPblog and others of this in a media statement.

Sebastian Vettel was the last driver to take to the track with start number 1. The German last had a car with that number in 2014, after which Lewis Hamilton won almost all the championships. However, the Brit decided to continue driving with 44 on his car, while Nico Rosberg retired from Formula One immediately after his world title.

Verstappen, however, indicated in the interview that he just likes having number 1 on his car. Although he was also very happy with race number 33 since his arrival in Formula 1, he feels that his new number belongs to a champion. Verstappen also stated that it might be the only season that it is possible for him, referring to the difficulty of winning another world title.

New challenges for Verstappen

Next year all Formula 1 drivers will face major changes to the cars, giving Verstappen a new challenge beyond the pressure. The first race in Bahrain will take place on 20 March 2022.