MDP Live - Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen hopes to use the number 1 on his car for the long term. He is reluctant to use the number 33 again if he is not forced or fails to defend his title.
As is known, Max Verstappen just won his first world title in the 2021 F1 season ago. He beat Lewis Hamilton dramatically at the Abu Dhabi GP so he was entitled to come out as champion. In accordance with the culture passed down, a champion is entitled to use the number 1 on their car in the following season. Verstappen, who was honored with the number, took it for use in the 2022 season.
With the number 1 being the new identity, Verstappen hopes that the number can last a long time. He doesn't want to use the number 33 anymore (in the sense that he wants to always be world champion).
"How often are there opportunities to change numbers? Number 1 is the best, so for me the most obvious choice is to choose number 1. Hopefully number 33 will not come back next season," Verstappen said when interviewed by local media.
The plan, Red Bull will release their new car complete with Verstappen's number 1 on Wednesday, February 9 next. Red Bull's new car is named RB18. The hope is that the new car designed by the team can help Verstappen in defending his title in an unpredictable season (due to regulatory changes).
