Verstappen: The True Champion of 2025 Season

Everyone is naming Max Verstappen as the Driver of the Year for 2025, even British publications, who normally are biased toward British drivers.

The Mirror’s Daniel Moxon attended every 2025 race and has shared his personal end-of-season awards. Despite British driver Lando Norris winning the World Drivers Championship (because he had a superior car), Moxon and others maintain that Max Verstappen is head and shoulders above the rest.

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McLaren dominated the Constructors’ Championship, winning it early and finishing way ahead of everyone else. Lando Norris became the Drivers’ Champion, but he had tough battles with his teammate Oscar Piastri, Max Verstappen, and George Russell.

Moxon’s Votes

Driver of the Year: Max Verstappen

Even though he didn’t win the championship, Max Verstappen was the best driver overall. He won 8 races—more than Norris or Piastri—and finished super close to the title despite Red Bull’s challenges. He made the most of every opportunity.

To crystallize Verstappen’s dominance amid the controversy, consider these irrefutable stats from his Herculean campaign:
– Most Wins: 8 by Verstappen
– Most Poles: 8 by Verstappen
– Most Driver of the Days: 8 by Verstappen
– Most Laps Led: 454 by Verstappen
– Most Consecutive Podiums: 10 by Verstappen
– Biggest Comeback in F1 History: From a 104-point deficit to a 2-point runner-up finish
– Fastest Lap in F1 History: Set by Verstappen at Monza in Qualifying and in the race
– Fastest Race in F1 History: Monza, won by Verstappen

Team of the Year: McLaren

They poached design engineer Rob Marshall from Red Bull, and he made McLaren’s comeback amazing. Just two years ago, they were way off the pace. With Marshall now, they’ve won back-to-back Constructors’ titles and finished 364 points ahead of second place. Their car was strong all year.

Race of the Year: British Grand Prix at Silverstone

Silverstone delivered again, especially with rain making things wild. There were strategy mistakes, crashes, and exciting action. Lando Norris won his home race in front of a reported 500,000 fans over the 4-day weekend, and Nico Hulkenberg finally got his first podium after a record 239 starts.

Overtake of the Year: Verstappen on Norris at Zandvoort

Verstappen went around the outside of Norris at Turn 2, slid wildly but saved it without crashing—and kept the position. It was an incredible move.

Runners-up: Verstappen on Piastri at Imola (made everyone gasp) and Piastri on Lewis Hamilton in Melbourne (a bold outside pass at high speed).

Rookie of the Year: Isack Hadjar

Max Verstappen’s previous victims. Will Hadjar be next? Likely. The rookie of the year becomes Verstappen’s teammate in 2026. Image by MV33Racing on X

Flop of the Year: Lewis Hamilton

Hamilton’s first year at Ferrari was a huge disappointment. After all the hype, he had few highlights (like a Sprint win in Shanghai) and struggled. It was one of the toughest seasons for a seven-time champion. He certainly misses that extra 50 hp and superior Aldo Costa designed chassis that made him unbeatable at Mercedes.

Most Improved: Carlos Sainz Jr.

He was a winner at Ferrari yet lost his ride to washed up Lewis Hamilton who was the ‘flop’ of the year. At Williams, he brought the team podiums they had no business winning.

Numpty (Silly) of the Year: John Elkann (Ferrari Chairman)

Ferrari’s boss claimed everything was fine except the drivers, who should “talk less.”