Statistical Anomaly: Max Verstappen Mirroring Daniel Ricciardo’s 2014 Struggles Following Iconic Number Three Race Swap

Max Verstappen’s switch to Daniel Ricciardo’s number three has resulted in a DNF and DSQ, mirroring the Australian’s troubled 2014 Red Bull debut.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 23, 2026, 6:12 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from PlanetF1

The Superstition of the Number Three Legacy

In a move that delighted fans of the former Red Bull "Honey Badger" era, Max Verstappen officially adopted the number three for his 2026 campaign after receiving the personal blessing of the retired Daniel Ricciardo. However, what was intended as a tribute to a former teammate has quickly transformed into a statistical nightmare. Analysts have noted a haunting symmetry between Verstappen's current season and Ricciardo’s 2014 debut at Red Bull. Both drivers suffered a disqualification and a failure to finish within their first three outings using the digit, leading social media observers to label the phenomenon as the "number three curse."

Mirroring Ricciardo’s Turbulent 2014 Introduction

The parallels began with the seasonal opener and intensified through the spring. In 2014, Daniel Ricciardo famously lost a second-place finish in Melbourne due to a fuel flow infringement, followed by a retirement in Malaysia. In 2026, Verstappen has faced a similarly disjointed start. After a qualifying spin left him out of contention in Australia, he managed a recovery to sixth, only to be hit by an ERS cooling failure at the Chinese Grand Prix. This marked his first DNF in nearly a year, echoing the mechanical unreliability that plagued the early years of the V6 hybrid era for his predecessor.

Nürburgring Disqualification Adds to the Narrative

The curse seemingly followed Verstappen beyond the Formula 1 paddock and into the world of endurance racing. Competing in the NLS series at the Nürburgring on Saturday, Verstappen once again utilized the number three on his Mercedes GT3 entry. Despite a dominant performance where he secured pole position by nearly two seconds and finished a minute clear of the field, he was hit with a post-race disqualification. The stewards found that his team had utilized seven sets of tires across the event, exceeding the permitted maximum of six—a clerical error that mirrored the technical technicalities that often stripped Ricciardo of his early career results.