Drivers’ vote Verstappen as 2025 Formula 1 Driver of the Year

The annual vote conducted by F1.com asked drivers to rank their top 10 performers of the season; they chose Verstappen. 15 current Formula 1 drivers agreed to participate, and were permitted to vote for themselves, although many chose not to, and most did not place themselves first. All ballots were submitted anonymously.

Points were allocated using the Formula 1 scoring system, with 25 points for first place down to 1 point for tenth, before being combined to form the overall top 10 ranking.

Verstappen’s victory in the poll followed a dramatic late-season resurgence. After trailing the championship lead by 104 points following the Dutch Grand Prix in August, the Red Bull driver won six of the final nine Grands Prix.

That run brought him to within two points of eventual World Champion Lando Norris. It also proved decisive in the drivers’ vote, with six competitors placing Verstappen at the top of their individual rankings.

Norris finished second in the poll for the second year in succession. The McLaren driver secured his maiden Formula 1 title after fending off sustained pressure from Verstappen and team mate Oscar Piastri across the season.

George Russell completed the top three, climbing one position compared to last year. The Mercedes driver delivered a standout campaign that included two Grand Prix victories and seven additional podium finishes.

Piastri finished fourth, one place higher than in 2024. He entered the summer break as the championship favourite and led the standings by 34 points at one stage before a dip in form during the autumn ended his title challenge.

Ferrari endured a difficult campaign and finished P4 in the Constructors’ Championship, 2 places lower than the previous year. Charles Leclerc maximised the package available, claiming sevem podiums, but still dropped two places to fifth in the drivers’ ranking.

Sixth place went to Carlos Sainz, who rebounded strongly after a challenging start to his first season with Williams. His second-half resurgence yielded two podium finishes and earned him the same ranking position he held the previous year.

Fernando Alonso rose two places to seventh after producing a series of standout drives in an Aston Martin that finished P7 in the championship.

Alex Albon claimed P8 after his strongest season to date with Williams, matching his P8 finish in the Drivers’ Championship.

Rookies Ollie Bearman and Isack Hadjar completed the top 10. Bearman impressed with a 5-race points-scoring run that included a P4 finish in Mexico, while Hadjar claimed his maiden Formula 1 podium at Zandvoort.

Pierre Gasly narrowly missed out on the top 10 despite recording 10 Q3 appearances in what was widely regarded as the slowest car on the grid. Seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton failed to appear in the ranking for the first time since the vote’s inception after a difficult debut season with Ferrari.

The drivers who participated in the vote 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, and Max Verstappen.

The Dutch ace was also voted GRANDPRIX247 Formula 1 Driver of 2026.