Formula 1 News: Fellow F1 drivers say Max Verstappen is the best

In an exclusive annual tradition by the Formula 1 website, Formula 1 drivers anonymously ranked their peers for the 2025 season, casting secret ballots to name the standout performers of the year.

–by Mark Cipolloni–

Using the standard F1 points system (25 for first place down to 1 for tenth), the votes were tallied from 16 participating drivers: Alex Albon, Fernando Alonso, Kimi Antonelli, Ollie Bearman, Gabriel Bortoleto, Franco Colapinto, Pierre Gasly, Isack Hadjar, Liam Lawson, Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris, Esteban Ocon, Oscar Piastri, George Russell, Carlos Sainz, and Max Verstappen.

Despite Lando Norris clinching his first World Championship by fending off a late charge from Max Verstappen and teammate Oscar Piastri, it was Verstappen who earned the most admiration from his fellow competitors – claiming the “Driver of the Year” title for the fifth consecutive time.

Here’s the full top 10:

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
Verstappen’s incredible late-season surge – winning six of the final nine races after trailing by 104 points post-summer break – fell just two points short of a fifth title. His resilience and dominance in the closing stages earned him the top spot, with six drivers placing him first on their lists.

2. Lando Norris (McLaren)
The new World Champion held off fierce competition to secure his maiden title, delivering consistent performances and seven race wins. He finished second in the drivers’ vote for the second year running.

3. George Russell (Mercedes)
Russell enjoyed his strongest season yet, scoring two victories and seven additional podiums. His impressive campaign lifted him to third in the peers’ ranking, up one spot from last year.

4. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
Piastri led the championship by 34 points heading into the summer but faded slightly in the autumn. Still, his mature drives in his third F1 season placed him fourth – an improvement on 2024.

5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
Leclerc extracted strong results from a challenging Ferrari, claiming seven podiums amid a tough year for the team (which finished fourth in the constructors’). He dropped two places from last year’s vote.

6. Carlos Sainz (Williams)
After a slow start at his new team, Sainz turned it around spectacularly in the second half, securing two podiums. He held steady at sixth, matching his 2024 position despite the team switch.

7. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
The veteran climbed two spots with consistent, standout drives in a mid-field Aston Martin that ended the year seventh in the standings.

8. Alex Albon (Williams)
Albon delivered Williams’ best season in years, helping the team to eighth in the constructors’ and earning his first appearance in the drivers’ top 10.

9. Ollie Bearman (Rookie, Haas)
The impressive newcomer shone in his debut year, highlighted by a five-race points streak and a fourth-place finish in Mexico – securing him ninth as one of three fresh entries.

10. Isack Hadjar (Rookie)
Another standout rookie, Hadjar claimed a maiden podium at Zandvoort and rounded out the top 10.

Notable mentions outside the list include Pierre Gasly, who impressed with 10 Q3 appearances in the grid’s slowest car, and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, who missed the top 10 for the first time in this poll’s history after a difficult debut season at Ferrari.

This drivers’ vote underscores the respect Verstappen commands on the grid, even in a year where the championship slipped away – a testament to one of the most dramatic seasons in recent memory.

The drivers who agreed to take part in the vote (in alphabetical order) were: Alex Albon, Fernando Alonso, Kimi Antonelli, Ollie Bearman, Gabriel Bortoleto, Franco Colapinto, Pierre Gasly, Isack Hadjar, Liam Lawson, Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris, Esteban Ocon, Oscar Piastri, George Russell, Carlos Sainz, Max Verstappen.