Damon Hill Claims Having Two No. 1 Drivers Makes Sense at McLaren Because of ‘Max Verstappen Threat’

McLaren has become F1’s fastest team in 2024, and because of this, there has been a lot of focus on its team dynamics involving Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris – two world-class drivers. Who the number-one driver should be has been a strong topic of discussion, but Damon Hill does not see anything wrong with both being placed at the top. The reason? Max Verstappen.

Speaking on the Sky Sports F1 podcast, Hill emphasized the importance of both drivers feeling equally valued within a team. He noted that if a strong contender like McLaren provides equal opportunities for its drivers, it creates a situation where both can compete for the top two spots in the Drivers’ championship.

Declaring Verstappen as McLaren’s primary challenger, Hill stated, “When you’ve got an identified foe outside the team, which is Max, then how do you manage this [fighting Red Bull off]?”

Working together is the answer. Both Piastri and Norris are quality drivers who can win races with a fast car at their disposal. As such Hill feels McLaren having two number-one drivers makes sense.

Harry Benjamin, Hill’s Sky Sports colleague, added that McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella had the luxury of choosing the lead driver on a race-by-race basis. However, chances are that he might lose that, with Verstappen and Co. aiming to bounce back after the Singapore GP next weekend.

Verstappen and Red Bull could be on their way back up

The 2024 Singapore GP could be McLaren’s last opportunity to build a significant advantage over Red Bull in the Constructors’ championship. The Milton Keynes-based team introduced a big upgrade in Baku last weekend, overhauling the RB20’s floor.

In Azerbaijan, the upgrades showed only a small improvement, but they’re expected to perform better at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, which is the next race after Singapore.

: Red Bull has introduced a new floor upgrade for the RB20 at the Azerbaijan GP, aiming to address the car’s balance issues. The updated floor, with revised tunnel geometry, seeks to improve pressure gradients and enhance airflow for better performance. #F1 #AzerbaijanGP pic.twitter.com/qPLVkK9d8X

— F1 Naija (@f1_naija) September 13, 2024

If this happens, Verstappen could secure a few podium finishes on the trot, helping him extend his lead in the championship, where he currently leads Norris by 59 points.