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WHY IS MAX VERSTAPPEN SWITCHING TO NUMBER 3 FOR THE 2026 F1 SEASON

Why did Verstappen choose number 3 over 33? We break down the F1 rule change and the emotional nod to Daniel Ricciardo.

Why is Max Verstappen Switching to Number 3 for the 2026 F1 Season
Is Max Verstappen Taking Daniel Ricciardo’s Number

Max Verstappen will use the number 3 on his car next season, switching from 33, which he's used for his whole Formula 1 career so far.

After winning four titles, Verstappen spent the last four seasons with the number 1, as is proper for the champion. But Lando Norris's win in Abu Dhabi changes things, and Verstappen is moving to a different number.

Verstappen said his favourite number has always been 3.

Norris said he would use the champion’s number on his McLaren next season. The rules about permanent driver numbers didn't allow drivers to switch numbers during their careers, except for the world champion.

Now, there's a new rule that lets drivers take available numbers. With Daniel Ricciardo gone and not planning to return to Formula 1, his old number, 3, will go to Verstappen, his former Red Bull teammate.

Verstappen wanted number 3 when he first came to Formula 1, but Ricciardo had it. Verstappen's website says Ricciardo helped with the number change, which suggests that Ricciardo is not planning on returning to the grid.

Talking to Dutch broadcaster Viaplay about his number in 2026, Verstappen said it won’t be 33. His favourite number has always been 3, besides number 1. Now that he can switch, he will.

He added that 33 was fine, but he likes one 3 better than two. He used to say it meant double luck, but he feels he's already had his share of luck in Formula 1.

The permanent driver number rules started in 2014. Drivers can pick any number between 2 and 99 to use during their Formula 1 career, but 1 is only for the reigning World Champion.

If a driver's first choice isn't free when they join the grid, like it was for Charles Leclerc [16], Yuki Tsunoda [11], and Carlos Sainz [5] before, they pick their second choice, and so on.

The only number no one can use is 17, which was retired to honour Jules Bianchi.

CRISTIANO RONALDO PROTESTS AL-HILAL'S BENZEMA DEAL BY SKIPPING AL-NASSR LEAGUE MATCH

Cristiano Ronaldo is fuming. Discover why the Al-Nassr star skipped his last match and is now threatening to leave Saudi Arabia.

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Ronaldo "considering leaving Saudi Arabia" despite signing 2027 contract extension

Cristiano Ronaldo has been the main attraction in the Saudi Pro League ever since he landed in the Middle East three years ago. Now, for the first time, it looks like he’s actually thinking about leaving. He’s frustrated. He feels the playing field isn’t level, and it’s starting to get to him.

Here’s the deal: Four clubs in the league—Al-Ittihad, Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal, and Al-Ahli—get their backing straight from the state. But Ronaldo sat out Al-Nassr’s match against Al-Riyadh on Monday night. Why? He was protesting. He found out Al-Hilal was about to sign Karim Benzema from Al-Ittihad, and that was the last straw. From Ronaldo’s perspective, Al-Hilal keeps getting more freedom to splash cash than everyone else. They’re the current champions, and Ronaldo still hasn’t managed to win his first Saudi title.

Saudi officials tried to calm him down. According to Diario AS, they reached out and argued that most of Al-Hilal’s extra spending comes from Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, not the Public Investment Fund (PIF). Al-Hilal just brought in Kader Meite for €30 million, Saimon Bouabre for €23 million, and now Benzema. Al-Nassr, on the other hand, only managed two free transfers this winter. Sure, they spent a lot more in the summer, but that didn’t seem to matter to Ronaldo.

Reports from Portugal, cited by AS, say Ronaldo’s not ruling anything out—not even leaving Saudi Arabia this summer. That’s despite just signing an extension with Al-Nassr until 2027.

And honestly, he has a point. Since he arrived, Al-Hilal have spent €647 million, while Al-Nassr have shelled out €410 million and Al-Ittihad €365 million. These numbers probably don’t include salaries—and let’s face it, nobody’s making more than Ronaldo. He’s supposed to return on Friday when Al-Nassr face Al-Ittihad, but right now, no one really knows if he’ll play or if he’s planning his next move.

N’GOLO KANTE SKIPS TRAINING AS AL-ITTIHAD BLOCK HIS MOVE TO FENERBAHCE OFFICIALLY

N’Golo Kante has gone on strike at Al-Ittihad after a paperwork error blocked his move to Fenerbahce. Can he still sign by Friday?

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Paperwork error halts N’Golo Kante’s transfer to Turkey at final hour

N’Golo Kanté didn’t show up for Al-Ittihad training on Tuesday, and it’s not hard to see why. He was all set to head to Fenerbahçe, but the deal fell apart at the last minute—apparently because Al-Ittihad messed up some paperwork. Kante was supposed to fly to Istanbul and sign, but thanks to this administrative slip, he’s stuck in limbo. There’s still a shot at reviving the transfer sinceKanté Turkey’s transfer window stays open until Friday, February 6.

Kante was one of the first big European names to jump to the Saudi Pro League, joining Al-Ittihad in 2023 after seven years with Chelsea. He’s been a key player in Jeddah, helping Al-Ittihad win the 2024-25 league title and the King’s Cup.

Then, in the middle of the January window, word got out that Fenerbahce wanted him. The Turkish club were eager to add a World Cup winner to their squad. The plan was to swap Kante for Youssef En-Nesyri, who’d head to Saudi Arabia. Everything seemed set until deadline day, when news broke that an error by Al-Ittihad in the Transfer Matching System stopped the transfer cold.

Fenerbahce didn’t hold back. They blamed Al-Ittihad directly, saying they’d done everything right: agreements with the players, medicals, paperwork, all wrapped up on time. But Al-Ittihad entered something wrong in the system, and that was that. Fenerbahçe even asked for an extension and reached out to FIFA, but nothing moved. In the end, the deal died, and Fenerbahçe put out a statement saying they understood the frustration and would keep working to strengthen the squad.

Meanwhile, Kante’s making his feelings clear. According to Ben Jacobs, he skipped training on Tuesday, still hoping the move to Fenerbahce can happen. Santi Aouna says talks between the clubs aren’t dead yet. L’Equipe is reporting that Kanté doesn’t want to play for Al-Ittihad while he waits for FIFA’s decision. With the Turkish window open until Friday, there’s still a glimmer of hope for Kante, though En-Nesyri’s move is off the table for now.

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