Why Lando Norris Can't Wear #1 Yet—Despite Being F1 Champion

Lando Norris remains stuck with his career-long #4 on the McLaren during Abu Dhabi's post-season test despite clinching the 2025 world championship. The FIA's bureaucratic protocols prevent him from switching to the coveted #1 until the official prize-giving ceremony in Uzbekistan this Friday—proving F1's championship isn't truly over until the paperwork clears.

Why it matters:

• Symbolic significance: The #1 carries immense prestige as the mark of F1's reigning champion, making its delayed adoption a visible reminder of the sport's rigid administrative framework.
• Operational continuity: Race control relies on consistent car numbering for safety during testing, where incidents like Ryo Hirakawa's morning red flag require instant visual identification.
• Historical precedent: Max Verstappen kept #33 during 2021's Abu Dhabi test despite winning the title days earlier, showing this isn't an isolated quirk but standard procedure.

The details:

• FIA Protocol: Championship status isn't legally recognized until the FIA World Motor Sport Council confirms results at Friday's ceremony in Tashkent—meaning Verstappen technically still "owns" #1 until then.
• Safety Imperative: Numbers must remain visible on the front wing and engine cover for trackside marshals to identify cars during incidents, as demonstrated when Hirakawa's stopped AlphaTauri triggered a red flag Tuesday morning.
• Precedent Watch: The 2018 exception where Hamilton briefly ran #1 on Mercedes' nose during FP1 doesn't apply here—those were special circumstances for the active champion during a race weekend, not post-season testing.
• Driver Choice Nuance: While Norris plans to adopt #1, it's not mandatory—Verstappen switched to #1 after each title, but Hamilton kept #44 throughout his championship reign.

Looking ahead:

Norris will finally unveil the #1 livery at Friday's ceremony, where he'll receive his official trophy—a moment delayed since Sunday's dramatic two-point victory over Verstappen. His gold crash helmet already signals the change, but the car's numbering must wait for bureaucracy to catch up with reality.

• The switch carries emotional weight for Norris, who called #1 "not for me, it's for [the team] as well"—a recognition of McLaren's collective effort in ending their 26-year drivers' title drought.
• With Verstappen expected to take Ricciardo's vacated #3 in 2026, this transition marks a symbolic passing of the torch between F1's current and former dominant forces—once the paperwork clears.