Max Verstappen, on Hamilton and Leclerc: “Many people disagree with me, but if I were a team manager, if I had my own team, I would never sign two number one drivers”
Ferrari It has been in the eye of the hurricane in recent weeks. The most successful team in the history of the Formula 1 He hasn’t won for many years. The last constructors’ title was in 2008 and the drivers’ title a year before with Kimi Raikkonen. This season neither one nor the other will win. Therefore, we are talking about two decades of drought. Last year they signed Lewis Hamilton to get back to glory and, in his second year in Maranello, he has found a Charles Leclerc that he is not going to hand over the leadership of the Scuderia that easily.
There have been several times that they have met on the track and the last of them was really controversial. In the last Mexican GP, Leclerc and Hamilton fought beyond the limit at the start of the event at the Autódromo de los Hermanos Rodríguez and in the end it was a shot in the foot that Max Verstappen took advantage of to take the victory. This opened the debate on whether Ferrari is right to have two roosters in the same coop and not give priority to the options of one or the other. And it was precisely Max who came to give his opinion in Brazil.
“If you simply had a clear number one and a clear number two, they would have gone through that curve first and second.or, and they would have also finished first and second. Or maybe first and third, but that’s fine too. As a team, you continue to score good points,” said Max Verstappen with the press at Interlagos in statements reported by Motorsport.com.
“I’ve said it before. A lot of people don’t agree with me, but if I were a team leader, If I had my own team, I would never sign two number one driversor, because then these things happen. It’s normal. One is not going to give in to the other, because, of course, they both believe they can win.and I’m like that too. So, if I were a team manager, I would never bet on two number one drivers. “There are people who completely disagree with that, but nothing happens either.”
Since Verstappen arrived at Red Bull, only Daniel Ricciardo was able to stand up to him and even beat him. On the other occasions, those from Milton Keynes have opted to have a decent second driver to help them achieve the constructors’ title. It hasn’t always gone well for them, but in the case of Albon or Checo Pérez’s beginnings it was enough.
“If you have a good car, You don’t necessarily need that either, two number one drivers. It is enough to have a decent second pilot. Throughout the history of Formula 1 it has also been clear that something like this works perfectly, even for years,” said Verstappen. And if we look back at examples such as Barrichello in Ferrari being Schumacher’s teammate or Bottas in Mercedes with Hamilton, he is right.
