WHY NUMBER 3? THE HIDDEN MEANING BEHIND MAX'S NEW RACING DIGIT FOR THE 2026 SEASON
Max Verstappen is Number 3: Read about his 2026 F1 "Evolution," life as a dad, and why he’s not bothered by Lando Norris's title.
For the first time since 2021, the four-time champ kicks off the 2026 season without the number 1 on his car. Last year, Lando Norris took the title, so Verstappen is switching things up.
Still, Verstappen doesn’t seem bothered. “That’s just how it goes,” he told Kicker. “It happens in Formula 1 and everywhere else; sooner or later, someone else takes the top spot. It’s not a big deal for me. I don’t own first place.”
So, instead of the champion’s number, Verstappen’s going with number 3 in 2026.
Even though he’s known for being fiercely competitive, Verstappen says there’s something he cares about more these days: family. “I always wanted this,” he said, talking about becoming a dad. “I’d already seen how amazing it is. It’s honestly better than winning a race or a championship. Watching your kids grow up – that’s the best thing.”
He and Kelly Piquet had a daughter last year, and he has also grown close to Piquet’s daughter, Penelope, from her previous relationship.
Speaking to GQ Australia, Verstappen said his entire perspective on racing has shifted as he has grown older. “I’ve already achieved a lot, and sure, I want to keep going, but honestly, I just want to enjoy myself. That’s why I fell in love with racing as a kid. Just having fun out there, driving.”
He admits he’s changed on track, too. “When I was 17 or 18, all I wanted was to go flat out, all the time. Now, I build up to it more. With experience, you learn when to push and when to hold back.”
Thinking back to one of his best qualifying laps at Silverstone last year, he said, “After the first two sectors, I could see I was way ahead. So in the final sector, I took it a bit easier, just to avoid making a mistake.” That’s a big change from earlier in his career. “There was a lap in Jeddah in 2021 where I was flying, but I pushed too much in the final corner and hit the wall. Sometimes you just have to know your limits, maybe play it a little safe.”
Verstappen says he actually enjoys hanging out with the new wave of young drivers coming into Formula 1. “It’s kind of refreshing to talk to them. They’re all pretty friendly, and I feel like I can relate to them.”
But he’s realistic; he won’t be around forever. “I hope I’m still here to see that new generation take over Formula 1.”
When he looks ahead, Verstappen sums it up in one word: 'evolution'.
GUENTHER STEINER PREDICTS MERCEDES 1-2 OVER MAX VERSTAPPEN AT MIAMI GP
F1 2026: Guenther Steiner explains why Max Verstappen could surprise the field in Miami following a four-week update break.
Max Verstappen will end up on the Miami Grand Prix podium with Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, but he won't beat the Mercedes duo, at least not if you ask former Haas boss Guenther Steiner.
Steiner isn’t shy about his prediction: he expects a Mercedes 1-2 in Miami, with Verstappen trailing them. It’s a bold call, especially since most people see the championship shifting soon. So far, though, Mercedes completely owns the 2026 season. They've grabbed every pole, every win, and just scored back-to-back 1-2 finishes in Australia and China. They already lead Ferrari by 45 points in the Constructors’ standings, and Antonelli has a nine-point edge over Russell in the Drivers’ fight.
But Miami could flip the script.
F1’s made some changes for this race: tweaked engine regulations, less recharge allowed in qualifying, and a cap on maximum boost during races. Sure, these rules hit everyone, but people say Mercedes might feel it the most, since they've been masters at squeezing every bit from their power units.
That’s not all: every team is rolling into Miami with big car updates after a four-week break. Plenty of time at the factory to find an edge.
Even with all that, Steiner’s sticking to his guns. He thinks Mercedes will still be on top, but also expects Verstappen and Red Bull to step it up enough for Max to join the podium party.
“Mercedes will win,” Steiner told a betting site. “They look strong, and it’ll be a good fight between Kimi and George. But Max could surprise us. Miami’s a different track, and with the new engine rules, there’ll be less charging and recharging – something that could help Max get on the podium.”
Steiner also weighed in on the championship race. Antonelli leads for now, but Steiner tips Russell to turn the tables before the season ends. Russell’s got eight years of F1 experience, and Steiner sounds convinced that this is finally his moment.
“For me, it’s George,” Steiner said. “Mercedes looks really strong this year, and George has the experience. He’s put everything into getting this chance, and now he has it. I don’t think he’ll let it slip away.”
INSIDE THE FIA MEETINGS: HOW TEAMS HASHED OUT THE END OF SUPER-CLIPPING MISERY
Formula 1 is changing. New engine rules, aimed at fixing lift-and-coast, debut at the Miami Grand Prix to boost qualifying.
Mark Temple, McLaren's technical director for performance, thinks the new rule changes will finally fix the drivers’ complaints, especially in qualifying.
Drivers won’t have to worry so much about lift-and-coast or super clipping dominating their laps. Getting the energy balance right is now going to feel a lot more like the old days.
Here's what’s happening: Formula 1 rolled out engine rules this year, splitting power 50/50 between combustion and battery, plus some power boosts. The problem? Battery harvesting and things like super clipping and lift-and-coast sucked the excitement out of qualifying. Max Verstappen said it best: it just wasn’t fun. Drivers couldn’t push flat out, and that just ruined the thrill.
Everyone grumbled: drivers, teams, even safety officials. The FIA brought together F1 management, team bosses, and power unit manufacturers. After hashing it out, they agreed to tweak the rules. Maximum battery recharge drops from 8 MJ to 7 MJ for qualifying; peak super clip power gets bumped up to 350 kW; and grand prix Boost power will max out at +150 kW.
These changes kick in at the Miami Grand Prix. We’ll see soon enough if it makes the drivers any happier, but Temple feels it’ll make qualifying noticeably better.
Lift-and-coast and super clipping should now basically resemble what drivers had to do with older power units. Temple breaks it down: “You’ve got lift-and-coast or coasting into corners, trying to harvest energy to use on the straights. But now, there are changes to Super Clip rules and how much energy you can grab over one lap in qualifying.”
He says the biggest difference is how the car feels to drive. The goal: ditch the stuff drivers hated, especially in qualifying. Instead of coasting forever into a fast chicane, you get the natural feeling of staying flat on the throttle and braking hard. Two things change: lift-and-coast should pretty much disappear in qualifying, where drivers used to let off and coast before braking. Now, the power unit does its thing more efficiently, letting drivers hold full throttle while the car recovers energy. Straight Mode stays active, so they’re not slowing as much. The switch from throttle straight to brakes feels normal again.
Plus, the duration of the super clip or coasting phases gets cut way down. So, when they do show up, they’re quick and manageable, kind of like tyre or fuel management moments from past seasons. Qualifying laps should feel way more natural.
There’s some other complicated stuff under the hood, mostly about how the car manages and deploys energy. That gets a bit simpler, too, making things less finicky for drivers.
