Top 3 'No.2' F1 Drivers of all time

F1 is a sport, and sometimes in this sport, the team takes precedence over an individual. The biggest example is the unspoken prevalence of the 'No.2' drivers in the teams to support the lead driver in their championship battle. Although not the ideal scenario for any driver in F1, the 'No.2' driver plays an important role in ensuring the success of the team in the championship battles.

An ideal 'No.2' driver needs to be quick but not too quick. He needs to be motivated to succeed, but he doesn't need to be too motivated to hurt the equilibrium within the team. Most importantly, however, he needs to do the job while keeping the team's interests at the forefront.

In this piece, we rank the top 3 'No.2' drivers in the recent history of the sport. Some of these drivers didn't intend to take on this moniker when they stepped into the team. The prevalent circumstances, however, 'conspired' against them into becoming the 'No.2' driver within the team.

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Top 3 'Wingmen' in F1

Mark Webber (Red Bull)

4 titles in partnership with Sebastian Vettel

Mark Webber never intended to be the number two driver at Red Bull. A pesky German by the name of Sebastian Vettel, however, stepped into the team and took over. Webber was always given his fair share of support and it was on evidence in the 2010 season when he almost won the championship.

Vettel's peaks, however, were undeniable and left Webber in a plume of smoke once the German started ticking. Alongside Vettel, Webber had quite a few flashing points like the 'Multi 21' drama at Sepang 2013, yet the combination was able to win four consecutive constructors' titles for Red Bull. Webber was by no means a conventional number two driver but he sure was an effective one.

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Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)

5 titles in partnership with Lewis Hamilton

Valtteri Bottas left Mercedes dejected at the end of the 2021 F1 season because he was never able to truly challenge Lewis Hamilton for the title at Mercedes. Bottas was, in many ways, the perfect 'No.2' in F1. He was fast and almost comparable to his team-mate in qualifying, but not too fast, as he would lose out in the races. He was motivated just right to want to win the championship, but not disrupt the team equilibrium, like Nico Rosberg did, to make it happen.

Bottas, on his day, could beat Hamilton, but he couldn't repeatedly perform at that level. He was the perfect foil for the Briton at Mercedes, making it no surprise that the seven-time world champion called him the best teammate he had ever had in his career.

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Rubens Barrichello (Ferrari)

5 titles in partnership with Michael Schumacher

The iconic combination of Rubens Barrichello and Michael Schumacher is still fresh in the minds of so many fans. Barrichello remains the greatest 'No.2' driver in the recent history of F1.

The Brazilian, however, was not a slouch by any means. In many ways, he was just as good as Bottas and more. On his day, he was as good as Schumacher, but unlike Bottas, he was a more complete driver. Not only was he a great qualifier, but a great racer as well, and his 11 Grand Prix victories are a testament to that.

Barrichello would consistently fight the top drivers on the grid and beat them. Be it the likes of Mika Hakkinen, Juan Pablo Montoya, Kimi Raikkonen or others. To add to this was his prowess in the wet as his first career win came at Hockenheim against Hakkinen in mixed weather conditions.

A five-year run where the team clinched both the drivers as well as the contractors' title shows the contribution the Brazilian made to the Italian team. In effect, the stats make him the best 'No.2' driver in the recent history of F1.