Norris knows life will change as F1 champion, starting with number one

ABU DHABI, Dec 8 : Lando Norris recognised life would change as Formula One world champion, although he hoped to stay the same as a person, and an immediate sign was the decision made on Monday to race with the number one on his McLaren next season.

The 26-year-old told Reuters Television, a day after he clinched the title in the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in a three-way battle at Yas Marina, that he was setting aside his familiar number four.

“I actually had to decide today," said the Briton, standing on a hotel balcony with the bright lights of Yas Marina reflected on the water behind him.

"In a way, I wanted to keep number four, because I'm just happy with that and it goes well with my logo ... but I will go with number one, because I have to. I have to.

"It can be my only opportunity in my life that I get to do such a thing, and not many people in the world get to do that kind of thing.

"And it's not for me. It's just for my mechanics, this is for my engineers. It's the fact that they get to run with the number one on the car, and I think it'll mean a lot more to them than it does to me as a number, and for me that's a lot more important.”

BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS

Norris, whose breakfast of champions was an early morning McDonald's after a night of partying that left his throat and voice slightly the worse for wear, said last week that his life would not change if he won the title but that was just words to relieve some of the stress before battle.

Another immediate mark of his changed status became obvious when he went for a swim.

"I was by the pool earlier, and there were a lot more people, I think, that came up to me than originally would have come up to me," he said.

"But look, it's not going to change me, which for