Max Verstappen used Ferrari's Mexico City mess to make his case: two number-one drivers on one team is a structural mistake. The Dutchman told Viaplay that if he ran a team, he'd never pair two alphas — the Hamilton-Leclerc collision that cost Ferrari a potential one-two is exactly what happens when neither driver will yield. "One isn't going to give way to the other, because they both think they can win," Verstappen said. His blueprint is simpler: a dominant car and a "decent number two." He pointed to 2023, when his points alone would've secured the constructors' title, and to the Hamilton-Bottas and Schumacher-Barrichello pairings as proof the model works. Verstappen acknowledged he might not always have the luxury of choosing his teammate, but said dual number-ones "make everything more complicated." Ferrari's Carlos Sainz replacement gamble with Hamilton now carries extra weight — the Scuderia is betting it can manage what Verstappen says he'd avoid entirely.
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