With the 2026 Formula 1 season and another 24-round tour of the world just around the corner, all 22 driver numbers have been confirmed by F1’s governing body, the FIA.
While the majority of the grid remains unchanged, there will be a couple of returning veterans as well as an all-new face to look out for when the track action gets under way.
Below you can find all the information you need about this year’s driver numbers, and where the system came from, with a full list available towards the bottom of the page.
Why do F1 drivers have numbers?
Several years ago, the drivers’ race numbers in F1 were assigned based on each team’s ranking in the previous year’s championship. However, in 2014 that system was changed, with the drivers then allowed to pick a number that would stick with them throughout their F1 career.
That rule was brought in to help increase the personal branding of the drivers, as well as allowing fans to identify their favourite drivers across multiple seasons regardless of which team they would be racing for.
That has proven to be the case. For example, Lewis Hamilton has become synonymous with his number 44 – the number he also used in karting – while in 2021 the seven-time World Champion founded Mission 44, a charity advocating for greater representation, diversity and inclusion in motorsport.
How do drivers choose their numbers?
F1 drivers are allowed to choose a number between 2 and 99, which remain theirs for the duration of their career in the sport. If they depart the sport for any reason – be it a retirement or anything else – then their numbers would be reserved for two seasons, preventing any newcomers in that period from selecting it.
The number 1 is still reserved for the reigning World Champion, though drivers are not obliged to use it. Last year’s title winner, Lando Norris, has elected to take it up for 2026, while Max Verstappen is switching to number 3, rather than the 33 he previously raced with.
The reasons behind drivers picking their numbers can be absolutely anything and everything. For example, Charles Leclerc runs with the number 16 because he originally wanted number seven or 10, but both were taken.
“I finally ended up with number 16, because one plus six equals seven, and I am born the 16th of October,” the Monegasque said of his choice.
For two-time World Champion and current Aston Martin racer Fernando Alonso, his number 14 holds special memories. “When I was 14 years old, the 14th of July, and with the go-kart number 14, I was World Champion. From that moment I had no doubt that 14 is my number,” he said.
The full list of driver numbers for the 2026 F1 grid
Below are the full confirmed numbers for the 2026 F1 grid, including rookie Arvid Lindblad as he embarks on his first season in the sport…
