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Max Verstappen's eagerness to debut the #1 on his car was so strong that the Dutchman has already started using it weeks before the start of the 2022 season.
Verstappen premiered the number while participating in a special exhibition event against Austrian ice speedway legend Franz 'Franky' Zorn. A custom ice race course inside the airport of Zell am See, in Austria was used for the occasion. The Dutchman ran an older spec Red Bull F1 car with the #1 emblazoned.
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Max Verstappen spoke to Sky Sports F1 during and after the event. When asked about the opportunity to use the #1, he said:
“I mean how many times do you get the opportunity to swap no? And #1 is the best number out there. So, yea, for me it was very straightforward to pick the #1, and hopefully, #33 doesn’t come back next year.”
The #1 is normally reserved for the reigning defending world champion in F1. It will make its return to the F1 grid for the first time since 2014. Sebastian Vettel was the last driver to run it during a race.
Verstappen was also asked to share his thoughts about the new 2022 car he will use for his title defense. Here’s what the 24-year-old had to say about the upcoming RB18:
“It looks a little different, but at the end of the day, it’s still a Formula One car… In testing, we can do a lot of laps and get a lot of information about the car, which is important. I can’t wait to start again.”
Max Verstappen unveils new helmet design for 2022 F1 season
In addition to his new number, Max Verstappen will also be using a new helmet more befitting of his status as world champion. The Dutchman revealed the new lid he will don for his title defense via a social media video.
Watch the video here:
Verstappen has swapped out the red accents from his 2021 design to gold. He will also have #1 on it instead of #33 as is the case with his car.
Meanwhile, the RB18 is set to be unveiled on February 9, more than a week before Mercedes is due for the digital launch of their W13. Verstappen will test Red Bull’s latest machine at the first pre-season testing session in Barcelona on February 23.
