Why Max Verstappen could snap up Daniel Ricciardo's outdated F1 race quantity

Max Verstappen is weighing up a Method 1 race quantity change if he doesn’t win the world title and is unable to maintain #1, with an eye fixed on former team-mate Daniel Ricciardo’s #3 race quantity.

Since 2014, drivers have wanted to decide on a quantity they need to maintain for his or her whole F1 profession, with the one exception being a driver could alternate it for #1 after profitable the world championship. Verstappen determined to take action from 2022 onwards after his first title, however says he “wants a variety of luck” to maintain #1 on his Purple Bull automotive for one more season.

Underneath regular circumstances, Verstappen would return to #33 with out clinching one other world title, however that isn’t a given but.

When requested throughout his Dutch media spherical in Las Vegas which quantity he’ll race with subsequent yr, Verstappen laughed: “That’s an excellent query! I’ll take a look at it over the winter, however my favorite quantity is #3. We simply must see whether or not that’s truly potential.”

It’s because Daniel Ricciardo used #3 and has not but been out of F1 for 2 seasons. Due to this fact, Verstappen doesn’t know whether or not he will likely be allowed by the FIA to decide on his favorite quantity.

Max Verstappen, Purple Bull Racing

Photograph by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Photographs

Will the FIA change the foundations in time?

Nonetheless, though that’s formally right, it’s based mostly on the foundations as they stand. The subject was introduced up in the latest assembly of the F1 Fee, reportedly on the request of Purple Bull.

Afterwards, the FIA acknowledged: “Modifications to the regulation on everlasting competitors numbers for drivers, launched for the 2014 season, have been mentioned. It was agreed {that a} proposal for drivers to alter their numbers throughout their profession could be permitted.”

When requested by Motorsport.com, an FIA spokesperson clarified that the main points nonetheless should be labored out and that the proposal must be permitted by the FIA World Motor Sport Council as nicely. Verstappen should await these steps earlier than he could make a last determination.

Requested whether or not #3 could be the popular choice if allowed, the world champion joked: “I truly needed #69, however my dad mentioned ‘that’s not a good suggestion’. However that quantity all the time seems the identical, irrespective of the way you take a look at the automotive! #69 could be excellent for the pictures and advertising and marketing, and for the caps as nicely. It doesn’t matter the way you put on them, it all the time stays #69. In that respect it could be a very good advertising and marketing device.

“I additionally like #27, however Nico already has that. I believe #2 and #7 look very nice collectively by way of form. So #3 is my favorite quantity, however there are a number of numbers I discover cool.”

Photographs from Las Vegas GP – Wednesday