In a stunning twist that has left fans buzzing, Max Verstappen has been crowned the best driver of the 2025 Formula 1 season, overshadowing Lando Norris’s remarkable title victory in Abu Dhabi. Despite Norris’s triumph, the Dutch dynamo surged from a staggering 104 points behind McLaren to trail Norris by a mere two points in the final drivers’ standings. This jaw-dropping comeback highlights Verstappen’s fierce competitiveness, even in the face of McLaren’s undeniable dominance throughout the season.
As the dust settled on the 2025 season, the F1 team principals were tasked with ranking their top 10 drivers, a process that would ultimately shape the narrative of the year. The scoring system awarded points based on traditional standards, with the top choice receiving a hefty 25 points, cascading down to one point for the tenth position. Despite the absence of Ferrari’s Fred Vasseur and Red Bull’s Laurent Mekies from the voting, eight team principals participated, solidifying Verstappen’s position as the driver of the year for an unprecedented fifth consecutive season. Norris, who captured the championship, found himself in a close second.
The reactions from fans have been electric, with one particularly vocal supporter taking to X, stating, “You had a rocketship and won the championship and everyone said ‘Verstappen is still better than you.'” This sentiment encapsulates the ongoing debate in the F1 community regarding the true measure of greatness.
Verstappen’s dominance was not just a product of team votes; he also triumphed in the driver vote, consistently outpacing Norris in the eyes of his peers. Meanwhile, Ferrari experienced a dismal showing, recording their worst ranking in a decade, with Charles Leclerc placed seventh and Lewis Hamilton shockingly absent from the top 10 for the first time in the history of this vote.
Oscar Piastri emerged as a bright spot, securing the third-best ranking among drivers, while George Russell claimed fourth. The rookie battle also heated up, with Ollie Bearman edging out Isack Hadjar to take eighth place, adding another layer of intrigue to the season’s narrative.
As the F1 world reflects on the 2025 season, the spotlight remains firmly on the rivalry between Verstappen and Norris, raising questions about how their legacies will be defined as they continue to push each other to new heights on the track. The saga unfolds, promising even more thrilling races ahead.
