Max Verstappen says he would avoid signing two number-one drivers if he ran a Formula 1 team. Discussing Ferrari’s Mexican Grand Prix dispute in an interview given during the Brazilian weekend and published in full on November 12, the Red Bull driver described the tension between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc as a situation that can arise when both believe they can win.
Why neither driver wants to yield
Hamilton and Leclerc both went off the circuit while fighting for position on the opening lap in Mexico. Leclerc rejoined ahead, Hamilton lost momentum and Verstappen passed him. Ferrari’s handling of whether the cars should exchange positions prompted radio arguments and further discussion after the race.
Team principal Frederic Vasseur subsequently met both drivers on Thursday evening in Brazil. Leclerc pointed to the influence of the Mexico circuit’s layout. Verstappen instead focused on the combination of two drivers with the same ambition, saying neither would naturally want to give way.
“If I had my own team, I would never sign two number-one drivers, because then you get this,” Verstappen said. Both believe they can win, he explained, acknowledging that he would have the same instinct in their position.
Team roles and his own career decisions
Verstappen suggested that a clear number-one and number-two arrangement might have allowed the cars through that contest in first and second, with a possible first-and-second or first-and-third finish. It was his hypothetical illustration of the points return he values, and he acknowledged that many people disagree with his management preference.
Asked whether he considers the issue when choosing a team or signing a contract, he said drivers may sometimes have little choice, while two leading drivers do make the situation more complicated.
He has also pointed to his 2023 season, when his individual points tally alone would have been enough to win the constructors’ championship for Red Bull. In his view, a good second driver can help such a team succeed over many years.
