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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.
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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.
AFCON: SOUTH AFRICA MUST BREAK TWENTY ONE YEAR CURSE AGAINST EGYPT THIS FRIDAY NIGHT
South Africa has only beaten two teams in the group stages since 2004 as they prepare for a massive Egypt test.
Bafana Bafana is looking to keep its momentum going at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. They're playing Egypt in their second Group B game in Agadir this Friday, which will really test both teams' title hopes.
Both Bafana and the Pharaohs won their first games 2-1, against Angola and Zimbabwe, but their wins weren't as convincing as they wanted.
Now, they're facing off in what will probably decide who gets first place in the group. The winner, if there is one, will get a big confidence boost.
But here's a statistic that might worry Bafana fans before the game.
It's been 21 years and 21 group stage games since Bafana beat Benin in their first match at the 2004 Cup of Nations finals. Since then, they've only managed to beat two teams in the group stages.
If you asked any Bafana fan if that's true, they'd probably question it, despite the team's problems recently.
The only wins the team has had in group play since then are a couple of wins against Angola (2013, & 2025) and Namibia (2019, & 2023).
They've played 13 different teams during that period and haven't been able to beat 11 of them.
There have been seven draws and 10 losses, which is way too many losses in what's supposed to be the easiest part of the competition.
They haven't managed to win back-to-back group games during that time (in fact, the Benin win was the last time they did), and their biggest win in the group stages happened in the last edition when they beat Namibia 4-0.
That being said, this bad stretch started with their worst defeat ever, a 4-0 loss to Nigeria in 2004.
But there's reason to believe that this 2025 team, which has grown into a skilled team, can turn things around. If not against Egypt (where a draw would be good), then for sure in their final group match with Zimbabwe on December 29.
Looking at all group matches at the finals since their successful debut in 1996, the record is more balanced. Bafana Bafana has 11 wins, 11 losses, and 12 draws in 34 games, scoring 37 goals and letting in 34.
They've had 12 clean sheets during that time and haven't scored in 12 games.
THE MASSIVE EGYPTIAN RECORD MOHAMED SALAH JUST SMASHED DURING THE ZIMBABWE OPENING MATCH
Mohamed Salah becomes the first Egyptian to score in five straight Afcons after a 91st minute winner against Zimbabwe.
In their opening Africa Cup of Nations match, Mohamed Salah scored in the 91st minute, giving Egypt a win against Zimbabwe.
Salah has now scored in five straight Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, a first for an Egyptian player.
Up next, Egypt will play South Africa and then Angola in their last group stage match.
With a late goal in Monday's 2-1 victory over Zimbabwe, Mohamed Salah became the first Egyptian player to score in five straight African Cup of Nations competitions.
After being benched for four games at Liverpool, Egypt's captain started and scored with his left foot in the 91st minute. This gave the seven-time champions a late victory and a good start in Morocco for Hossam Hassan's team, plus set a record for Egypt.
The Egyptian FA shared on X that national team captain Mohamed Salah is the first Egyptian player to score in five Africa Cup of Nations in a row.
Liverpool's star, who has had trouble getting into the Reds' lineup this season, scored in the 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023, and now 2025 competitions. He joins Didier Drogba, Abdoulaye Traore, and Yaya Toure from Ivory Coast, and Youssef Msakni, a Tunisian winger, in achieving this.
Salah could score even more since there are two AFCON tournaments scheduled in the next three years, in 2027 and 2028.
If he scores in each one, he'll beat the record held by Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon), Kalusha Bwalya (Zambia), and Andre Ayew and Asamoah Gyan (Ghana).
The 33-year-old has scored eight goals in 20 AFCON games. That's four fewer than Hassan El-Shazly, who has the most goals for Egypt in the tournament, and three fewer than his current coach, Hassan.
Egypt plays South Africa on Friday and Angola on December 29. Salah hopes to finally win the Africa Cup after losing in the finals in 2017 and 2021.
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