Max Verstappen questions Ferrari decision after Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc showdown

Red Bull star Max Verstappen has criticised the policy of having two number one drivers in F1 after recent tension between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc at Ferrari.

Unlike at Red Bull, where Isack Hadjar is clearly Max Verstappen's backup, Ferrari take a different approach to their driver lineup, seeing Hamilton and Leclerc as having equal status within the team.

This has been reiterated time and time again after the pair clashed on track this season, including ahead of last Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix, where Hamilton, Leclerc and Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur were forced to hold showdown talks after drama in Mexico City the weekend prior.

Despite Hamilton feeling that Leclerc's actions in Mexico cost him the victory, Vasseur confirmed after the meeting in Sao Paulo that nothing had changed in terms of Ferrari's rules of engagement, with the two Ferrari drivers set to keep racing as equal number ones.

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Max Verstappen questions Ferrari's number one driver policy

Verstappen totally disagrees with that approach.

The Dutchman was asked about the Hamilton and Leclerc incident in Mexico during an interview with Viaplay, and made his stance on Ferrari's policy, and any other team that has two number ones, very clear.

"You had a great view when you were in third place and you saw what happened to Lewis and Charles. How do you view the whole situation now because they don't have a clear number one in the team?" asked Viaplay presenter Chiel van Koldenhoven.

Verstappen's response was emphatic: "I've said that before, and not very many people often agree with it. If I were a team boss, if I had my own team, I would never hire two number one drivers because then you end up with this.

"If you simply had one clear number one and a clear number two, they would have just gone through that corner as one and two. And then they would have finished first and second as well.

"If you simply have a good car, you don't necessarily need two number one drivers. You don't need more than a decent number two. And in the history of Formula 1, it has always been clear that that works perfectly well for years."

Is Max Verstappen right?

On the one hand, Verstappen himself is evidence of what he is saying.

Sergio Perez is a handy F1 driver, but he was not a number one at Red Bull when the Dutchman won all four of his F1 world championships and instead played a very supportive role.

At the same time, there is also an argument against Verstappen's stance. With Perez alongside him, Red Bull only picked up two constructors' titles in Verstappen's title-winning years, pipped by Mercedes in 2021 and beaten by both McLaren and Ferrari in 2024. Sometimes having a number two that can score big points pays off.

Christian Horner did not have to put up with the same headaches that Fred Vasseur is currently having to deal with, though.

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