Two-time Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen says that it is important for drivers who are in a number two position to accept their role.
Throughout F1 history, some drivers have played a secondary role to a team-mate who is battling for the World Championship.
Some of the most recent examples include Sergio Perez at Red Bull and Valtteri Bottas at Mercedes, who both assisted their team-mate’s championship charge in 2021.
Bottas spent five years at Mercedes from 2017 to 2021, with team-mate Lewis Hamilton winning the Drivers’ title on four occasions during the stint.
Speaking to Viaplay, Verstappen says that Bottas wouldn’t have survived in F1 if he hadn’t accepted that he couldn’t overcome the challenge that Hamilton presented.
“Every year he starts fresh, but after a few races you realise it’s not going to happen again and you accept your role,” he said. “He [Bottas] still finished on podiums, he won a few races and took pole positions.
“You just have to accept that the driver next to you is just a bit better. That’s fine, that can happen.
“It’s important that he accepted it. Some drivers can’t do that and then it goes completely wrong.
“Then they don’t survive for very long. I’m not going to name names, but you have to accept your role. You can’t live in a fairytale world.”
Following his years at Mercedes, Bottas switched to Alfa Romeo this year and is currently tied to a multi-year deal.
However, Verstappen’s father Jos thinks that the Finnish driver is enduring his final F1 years.
“At a certain point, you realise that it won’t happen again. He understands that,” said Verstappen senior.
“Bottas had that opportunity with Mercedes for many years, and now he drives for Alfa Romeo. I think he is on his last stint in Formula 1.
“If you’re part of a championship team, you go for it and try. After a few races you realise that it’s not going to work.”
So if Sergio gets off to a better start than him,I wonder if he’ll accept being number two
Someone’s reading their own PR too much! Fans like a humble champion, regardless of the sport, his arrogant attitude isn’t going to go down well with sponsors or fans! Hopefully, Chico has learned not to be too helpful next year!
Checo’s job is to help max get a title, he is contract bound to be the second driver. Well if he doesn’t help max they can always find someone who can do that.
True, look at Daniel at McLaren and Pierre during his Red Bull days, among others. Hilarious how people immediately jump on the Checo defense train though. Think he’s sinking rather than swimming?
I think he has a point that is very practical. We all realise – even if it not a written down thing- that the teams to do internally silently acknowledge the senior and junior. It is natural as other than the individual champ there is also the team title to play for. I feel he has just said the right thing- people
May call him arrogant but it is with that quality you top the charts.
Ricciardo beat Verstappen in 2016, 2017 and only lost to him in 2018 because of 8 DNFs in that season.
Verstappen was a teenager for most of the first two of those years, so it would be a pretty poor reflection on Ricciardo if he didn’t beat him. In 2018 Ricciardo had five more DNFs and would have needed to score eighty points in those five to surpass Verstappen’s points tally. Plus, Verstappen finished ahead in eight of the eleven races they both finished.
It’s simple,
Who ever is driving faster will be the number one driver.
It’s not a guarantee that you stay that way, you have to work for it.
If you stay number two for a while, you may think, is this what I want, en wat are my options if I dont beat the other guy?
But you might also be grateful for the chance to drive in F1 en be in the same car as the number one and have at least the chance to become the number one.
That has nothing to do with Max attitude, it’s just reality. It will be interesting what 2023 will bring for Mercedes and their drivers.
Max needs to start acting humble otherwise he’s gonna get booed everywhere.
He’s acting exactly like Sebastian “finger boy” Vettle from 10 years ago. Seb got booed into oblivion until his team told him to grow up…. and he did. Hopefully Max will too.