With all the column inches in the the written media dedicated to the Lewis Hamilton – Nico Rosberg feud, the thought came to mind, do two number one drivers in a team ever work?
Teammates? In the loosest sense of the word. Only in Motorsport could the man you need to beat most be called your “teammate.”
In reality nothing could be further from the truth: the man across the garage is enemy number one. Beat him and your stock rises; the team concentrates its efforts more and more in your direction until they have no option but to prioritise the driver who can bring home the Championship. Should a team then take the route of two top drivers as Mercedes have done in Rosberg and Hamilton or Ferrari with two Word Champions in Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso? Should they go with a one and two driver line up as McLaren have done with Jenson Button and the rookie Kevin Magnussen? And Red bull with Sebastian Vettel as number one to Daniel Ricciardo’s supposed number two position?
A look back into the history of Formula 1 can teach us a lot: look at the recent dominance of Vettel had over his ageing teammate Mark Webber; or the way in Which Ferrari used a definite one two driver system, with both Michael Schumacher and Fellipe Massa / Rubens Barrichello combination; or most recently the Alonso-Massa pairing. On the other hand, when we have had two number ones in a team it has often lead to disaster. Think Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna at McLaren or the Nigel Mansell, Nelson Piquet combination at Williams. And maybe the most memorable in recent history the Alonso Hamilton battle at McLaren.
The 2007 season for McLaren looked to all on the outside as a one-two driver system. Alonso, a two time World Champion paired with the rookie Hamilton. Only Ron Dennis and a few others knew that Hamilton could more than hold his own. The feud that lit up the Championship battle in 2007 was one of the most entertaining in recent Formula 1 history, but no doubt cost McLaren the Drivers’ Championship; Hamilton eventually lost the Championship to Raikkonen by a single point. (109 points to 110). It is worth mentioning McLaren where stripped of Constructors’ points and the Championship after being found guilty of breaching international sporting code, for holding Ferrari’s data.
Both Hamilton and Alonso won four Grands Prix, Raikkonen in his Ferrari won five and his teammate Massa had two wins. If McLaren had made Alonso or Hamilton a number one they surely would, or should have won the Drivers’ Championship.
It’s a difficult argument to have. As a fan I want to see the confrontation and wheel-to-wheel racing of two drivers in the same machinery. The intensity, the fall outs, the aftermath in the press conferences. On the other hand I want my team, my driver to win at all costs. Formula 1 has often used the number one driver system to great success. It has an advantages. A single direction. A lesser risk of confrontation both on and off the track snd of course the ability to use team orders, legal or not.
I’d suggest a one-two driver pairing is the way to go if you want a successful, harmonious team. But if you want Formula 1 to be about the best slugging it out, then two number one drivers is undoubtedly the way to go. If not the safest option, but as a fan I would go with two number ones. But given the job as a team principle I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t!
You have to give credit to Mercedes for letting their drivers race, although with their speed advantage it’s a little easier to do so.
I’ve said it here before. It’s going to be a classic season. Sit back and enjoy.
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