Verstappen: I'd Always Pick a Number One Driver
Max Verstappen claims he benefited from being Red Bull's sole title contender against McLaren's duo. He argues a clear #1 driver policy is strategically superior, pointing to points lost between Norris and Piastri as a key disadvantage for his rivals.
Max Verstappen believes being Red Bull's lone frontrunner in the 2025 title fight against McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri was a strategic advantage, not a weakness. The four-time champion stated that operating without a teammate to consider allowed him to be more aggressive, and he directly benefited from McLaren's equal-driver approach. This philosophy leads him to declare that as a team principal, he would always establish a clear number one and two driver to maximize championship potential.
Why it matters:
Verstappen's comments challenge the modern "equal teammates" philosophy favored by top teams like McLaren and Mercedes. It provides a compelling explanation for how Red Bull remained in the championship hunt despite car performance struggles and highlights the inherent strategic conflict within a team running two title contenders simultaneously.
The details:
- Solo Aggression: "When you're on your own, you can go on the attack, you can be much more aggressive. I always prefer that," Verstappen explained, noting that a clear number one driver can dictate strategy without compromise.
- McLaren's Internal Battle: Verstappen pointed out that Norris and Piastri were taking points from each other throughout their fight against him. He argued McLaren's equal treatment complicated their strategy, saying, "If you're a bit equal with the car, then I wish both [McLaren drivers] good luck, because then you can really decide it amongst yourselves."
- A Clear #1 Policy: "If I were a team boss, I would always put a clear number one and two in place," he asserted. He clarified that the number two driver must still be strong enough to score points for the constructors' championship.
- Context of 2025: Verstappen's solo campaign materialized after Red Bull's season-long "second seat syndrome," which saw Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda fail to provide consistent support before the team signed Isack Hadjar for 2026.
Looking Ahead:
Verstappen's philosophy will undoubtedly shape expectations for Red Bull's 2026 lineup with rookie Isack Hadjar, who is likely to be cast in a clear supporting role. For McLaren, the 2025 season serves as a high-profile case study in the challenges of managing two championship-caliber drivers equally, a strategic dilemma they will continue to navigate with Norris and Piastri. The debate between a #1 driver policy and the equal-driver model remains a central strategic question in modern Formula 1.