Max Verstappen has made clear he would adopt a fundamentally different team management philosophy to McLaren’s equal treatment strategy, revealing he would establish a defined hierarchy between drivers if he ever stepped into a team principal role. The four-time world champion believes McLaren’s papaya rules ultimately worked in his favour during the 2024 season as Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri divided points between themselves while he maintained championship contention. Verstappen’s comments highlight the strategic complexity teams face when managing two competitive drivers, particularly when championship points prove decisive across a full campaign.
Strategic advantage through single focus
Speaking candidly about team dynamics, Verstappen articulated why a clear number one driver offers competitive benefits that dual leadership cannot match. The Red Bull Racing driver emphasized that operating without internal competition allows maximum aggression in tactical decision-making, creating opportunities that might otherwise be compromised when balancing two drivers’ interests.
“When you’re alone, you can obviously go full attack. You can be much more aggressive then,” Verstappen explained during an appearance on the Viaplay programme Gemaximaliseerd. His perspective stems from observing how McLaren’s approach to Norris and Piastri created complexity in strategy calls throughout the season, particularly during races where team orders might have consolidated points toward a single championship challenge.
The Dutchman’s position reflects traditional Formula 1 hierarchy thinking, where teams historically designated clear lead drivers to maximize championship prospects rather than distributing resources and strategic priority equally.
McLaren’s papaya rules under scrutiny
The British team’s commitment to fair treatment between Norris and Piastri throughout the season represented a deliberate philosophical choice that carried both benefits and consequences. McLaren maintained their papaya rules framework to ensure neither driver felt subordinated, fostering team harmony but occasionally complicating race strategy when both drivers occupied competitive positions.
This approach proved most contentious during crucial mid-season races where tactical decisions favoured maintaining equity over maximizing points for Norris, who emerged as the team’s strongest title contender. The net result saw Norris finish the Abu Dhabi finale with merely a two-point advantage over Verstappen in the drivers’ standings, a margin many observers considered surprisingly narrow given McLaren’s car performance during the season’s second half.
Verstappen acknowledged this dynamic worked strategically in his favour as the championship progressed. Rather than facing a concentrated challenge from a single McLaren driver backed by full team support, he benefited from points being distributed across two drivers who occasionally found themselves racing each other as much as competing against Red Bull.
Verstappen’s management philosophy revealed
The reigning champion outlined his hypothetical approach to team management with clarity, balancing the need for constructors’ championship points against the advantages of focused driver championship support. His framework acknowledges modern Formula 1’s dual championship structure while prioritizing individual title prospects through established hierarchy.
“If I were team principal myself, I would always have a clear number one and number two,” Verstappen stated without hesitation. “Then it would need to be a number two who brings in enough points to compete for the constructors’ championship as well. But I would definitely do a clear one and two.”
This philosophy aligns with Red Bull Racing’s operational approach during Verstappen’s championship years, where team strategy consistently prioritized his championship campaign while ensuring the second car contributed sufficiently to constructors’ standings. The model has delivered four consecutive drivers’ titles for Verstappen alongside strong team championship results.
When questioned about his comfort level racing teammates for championships, Verstappen’s response reflected his confidence in direct competition. “No. But if the car is somewhat equal between you, then it doesn’t matter to me. Then I wish them good luck with the two of them, because then you can really determine it yourself,” he noted, suggesting internal team battles favour his competitive approach when equipment parity exists.
What this means going forward
McLaren has confirmed the papaya rules will continue into the 2025 campaign, presenting Verstappen with what he perceives as a strategic advantage if championship battles materialize again between Red Bull and the Woking-based team. The contrasting management philosophies may prove decisive if performance margins between leading teams remain tight throughout the upcoming season.
For Norris specifically, the continuation of equal status with Piastri represents both opportunity and potential limitation. While the framework ensures fair treatment and prevents subordination, it may complicate his path to a maiden drivers’ championship should he find himself in genuine title contention against competitors receiving undivided team support. The dynamic will test whether McLaren’s approach can deliver championships in the current era of closely matched top teams, or whether Verstappen’s traditional hierarchy model offers superior strategic flexibility when titles reach their decisive phases.
