Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were involved in a controversial incident at the Mexican Grand Prix, prompting considerable discussion.
While Leclerc attributed much of what happened to the characteristics of the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Verstappen believes Ferrari’s driver structure was a more significant factor.
Speaking to Viaplay ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix, the Red Bull driver explained that he would never appoint two number-one drivers if he were running a team.
Verstappen argued that having a competitive car is the most important ingredient for success, making a dependable second driver a better choice than two leading figures.
He also suggested that two drivers viewing themselves as team leaders could inevitably create friction, describing the arrangement as having “two captains on one ship”.
Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur subsequently met with Hamilton and Leclerc on Thursday evening in Sao Paulo in an attempt to resolve tensions following their Mexican Grand Prix altercation.
“If you simply had one clear number one and one clear number two, they would have gone through that corner in first and second, and they would have finished first and second as well. Or maybe first and third, but that’s fine too. As a team, you’re still scoring good points,” Verstappen said.
“I’ve said it before. People very often disagree with me, but if I were a team principal – if I had my own team – I would never sign two number-one drivers, because then you get this.
“Then this is normal. One isn’t going to give way to the other, because of course they both think they can win, and that’s how I am too.
“So if I were a team principal, I would never go for two number-one drivers. Some people completely disagree with that, but that’s fine as well.”
