Norris’ reason for not selecting #46 after hero Rossi

Norris considered using the number on his step up to Formula 1 for 2019 but didn’t want to bee deemed as a copycat. He has been a fan of the multiple MotoGP champion since he was young.

“I had 31, I had 11, and in karting I had 33 and 46, but none of them meant a lot to me. So I just went with the one that looked the best. That’s the best reason!” He said speaking at the launch of the special edition phone OnePlus 6T McLaren.

The British driver chose the number four in the end as he felt it looked the best and also fitted perfectly for the hashtag #L4ndo.

Will Stevens is the only previous Formula 1 driver to have used the number 46 on the grid in a one-off appearance for Caterham back in 2014.

Norris also became aware of the career progression of fellow F1 newcomer Alex Albon through his support for Rossi.