SAO PAULO, Brazil — Max Verstappen stated he’ll run the number one on his automobile subsequent season if he wins this 12 months’s Formulation One championship.

Verstappen, who leads Lewis Hamilton within the championship by 19 factors with 4 races to go, selected 33 because the quantity to accompany him for the remainder of his profession. F1’s guidelines permit a reigning champion to swap from their chosen quantity to No.1 if they’re the defending champion, though no driver has carried out this since Sebastian Vettel in 2014.

Within the years since, Hamilton has at all times opted to run the No. 44, whereas Nico Rosberg retired from F1 after successful the 2016 world championship.

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Verstappen stated swapping to the number one might be a novel alternative for an F1 driver and joked it had the added bonus of being good for his model.

“Completely,” Verstappen stated when requested about taking the quantity.

“What number of occasions do you’ve got the chance to drive with No. 1? And it is good for merchandise as properly, so it is good to try this!”

The discuss in regards to the quantity on the automobile was as shut as Verstappen actually bought to speaking about his place on the verge of a primary world championship. The Dutch driver has been remarkably calm within the face of stress this season and was seemingly unfazed by moments like his first house grand prix within the Netherlands or going toe-to-toe with one in all F1’s all-time greats.

He stated he remembers what occurred over the course of the 2 races earlier than F1’s summer season break, when he went into the British Grand Prix with a 32-point lead over Hamilton and left the Hungarian Grand Prix trailing the Mercedes driver by eight factors.

“Properly, it is quite simple, to be trustworthy, as a result of if you happen to do not give it some thought, you have no desires or no matter. I’m simply actually centered.

“In 4 races, numerous issues can occur. We’re wanting good, however issues can change in a short time. I already stated that after the race in Mexico … I imply, I’ve had an even bigger lead already within the championship and that disappeared inside two race weekends, so we have now to once more attempt to do one of the best we will right here, and once more after this weekend we are going to attempt once more to attempt to win the race.

“My strategy each single weekend is similar, so we won’t change that.”

Verstappen stated he has not sought the recommendation of former world champions, even the daddy of his girlfriend, Kelly, three-time world champion Nelson Piquet.

When requested if he’d sought recommendation throughout a go to to Piquet’s storage forward of this weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix, Verstappen stated: “We did not actually speak about that as a result of I do not want recommendation, and anyway, we simply had a very good chat about all types of stuff.

“I do know what I’ve to do contained in the automobile, so I needn’t communicate to anybody about that. I am a relaxed particular person anyway, and it is good to only spend time together with your family-in-law as properly for the primary time as a substitute of talking by means of FaceTime, so it was extra necessary to only spend time.”