Formula 1 is a world of speed and challenges, but being Max Verstappen's perfect teammate goes beyond that. Who could be the ideal number two for the Dutchman? The pilot himself answers this question.
Being Max Verstappen's perfect teammate is a tall order. Keeping pace and mirroring the talent of the triple world champion has generated frustration and raised questions about the ability of his teammates due to the difference in results. Ricciardo, Gasly and Albon are some of the names subjugated to Verstappen's dominance within the team, where the symbiosis with the car is so perfect that many claim that everything in the Red Bull garage revolves around the Dutchman.
Sergio Pérez, known as Checo, was the last to join the number two club, since the number one of Max's car, now fixed for three consecutive seasons, leaves no room for other title contenders, not even within the same team. The Mexican, after a good start to the season, was outclassed by Verstappen, who clarified his position with statements to the German newspaper Amus, where he specified that there was no balance in the early stages of the season, but a bit of personal bad luck in Saudi Arabia and Baku, (both races won by the Mexican) and he emphasized that recent cars were not designed following his driving style.
“Each engineer develops the car to make it faster, then each driver adapts it as he sees fit, but we're talking about setup. I can't say what my driving style is, but I can adapt to the needs of the car, following the path that makes it fastest. This is the key to being a true Formula 1 driver: knowing how to adapt to what the team makes available."
Max Verstappen for Auto Motor und Sport
But what if it was Verstappen's job to choose his perfect teammate?
The first name, without a doubt, would be Lando Norris. The pilot confessed which, if he could, he would also choose as part of his dream team and he would be thrilled to have the young English driver alongside him in Red Bull.
“I would choose Lando. He is still young, with a long career ahead of him. And he can also be very, very fast.”, the Dutchman admitted. A decision that would not surprise many, since the bond with the British driver goes beyond the Formula 1 circuits, including virtual competitions and Paddle sessions. And even though Norris is considered one of the fastest on the track, it seems unlikely that Red Bull would hire a driver who could destabilize the team if a conflict were to occur, especially considering that the English driver has a contract with McLaren until the end of 2025.
So, what would be the alternative? Another McLaren driver, born in 2001 and rookie of 2023, as well as Norris' current teammate, Oscar Piastri. Verstappen would choose the Australian if it were not possible to form a team in which he himself was number one, demonstrating how successful he considers the combination known as "papayas" to be
Verstappen against the new F1
Now accustomed to his statements, far from politically correct, Verstappen did not choose to remain silent this time either when questioned about the current dynamics of F1 by Auto Motor und Sport.
“Why all these complications? I also wonder what the rules are now. I feel lost, it's like being in a circus.” “Circus” was again the term chosen by the Dutchman (also widely used during the Las Vegas GP), to criticize the Sprint race format and the Parc Fermé regime, expired on Friday and which prevents changes to the car's set-up for the rest of the weekend, with only one free practice session available and the related difficulties in finding the right setup for the race.
A problem that involves all teams, as emerged in Austin Grand Prix regarding the minimum height of the bottom of the cars, resulting in the disqualification of Leclerc and Hamilton at the end of the race.
