Verstappen criticizes Ferrari’s equal-status driver pairing

Max Verstappen said Ferrari’s equal-status driver pairing contributed to the clash between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc at the Mexico City Grand Prix, arguing that a clear team hierarchy could help protect results. Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur defended keeping two competitive drivers and said the team’s conduct guidelines remain unchanged.

The Ferrari teammates battled on the opening lap in Mexico. Verstappen, who went on to win the race, said a designated number one and number two would have been less likely to fight for position. He acknowledged that such an arrangement would not guarantee a one-two finish, but said a team could still score well if its drivers finished first and third.

Speaking during the São Paulo Grand Prix weekend, Verstappen told Viaplay he would not sign two number-one drivers if he ran a Formula 1 team. He said drivers who both believe they can win have little incentive to yield, making it more difficult for a team to manage them. His view that a hierarchy would have changed the Mexico result was a counterfactual, rather than an established outcome.

Vasseur said Ferrari’s lineup had helped the team reach second in the constructors’ standings,...