It's all about positioning yourself there to demand such an Alpha status in a team. For that, first one has to win a championship, which Alonso, Hamilton and Vettel all did. While you are winning your first championship, you can't demand to be the Alpha. Once you are done, it's a credential that you can use to demand that status. It's an assurance to the team owners that, if there is a car that is worthy of championship challenge, you have got a proven horse who can do that job for and for that, the team is willing to put their weight behind him. In that context, a driver has to be humble and accept opportunity to be alongside another contender, who is looking to do exactly the same.Vasconia wrote: ↑12 Sep 2017, 15:52Apart from some minor tense moments I think Ricciardo handled very well his time with Sebastian and he is doing the same with Max.Jolle wrote: ↑07 Sep 2017, 16:38Vettel, Hamilton (and Alonso, Verstappen) are going to clash with whoever challenges them in the same car. It's one of the trades why they are where they are and not Bottas, Kimi or Button. If you want a team with either of them in it, you better make sure you've got a follower instead of a challenger next to them (like in the past Barichello, Berger, Heiki, Herbert, etc etc). Ricciardo will make Vettel uncomfortable. You don't pay 40mln a year to make it uncomfortable.
That is exactly Ricciardo and Verstappen's mindset would be currently and they would be happy to be paired alongside anyone at this stage of their career and be the obedient team members. But once they win a championship, they would be no different than an Alonso, Hamilton or a Vettel, with respect to having frictions with another highly capable driver who would trouble the cuckoo's nest.
