In the world of Formula 1, the official trophy cabinet tells one story, but the team principals’ secret ballots often tell another – usually with a bit more spice.
While Lando Norris may be the man officially lifting the 2025 World Drivers’ Championship trophy, the grid’s most influential bosses have decided that, in their eyes, the king hasn't actually abdicated.
For the fifth consecutive year, Max Verstappen has been voted the Driver of the Year by F1's team principals.
Despite losing the title to Norris by a razor-thin margin of just two points, Verstappen’s late-season rampage – winning six of the final nine races – clearly left the bosses in awe.
It seems that while McLaren’s hardware won the day, Verstappen’s sheer "I’ll-do-it-myself" energy won the hearts of the pit wall.
The McLaren Surge and Veteran Magic
F1’s poll, which operates under a "cone of silence" to allow bosses like Toto Wolff and Andrea Stella to rank rivals without awkwardness, follows the standard F1 points system.
Lando Norris, the newly-crowned champion and seven-time race winner, had to settle for second place behind Verstappen. He was joined on the "podium" by teammate Oscar Piastri, who took P3 after a season where he served as the championship’s early pace-setter.
Just behind him, George Russell enjoyed a significant jump up the rankings. Fourth place marked a two-position improvement from last year after a season that delivered two victories and seven additional podiums. In a Mercedes still navigating life after dominance, Russell’s consistency didn’t go unnoticed.
Veterans, Breakouts and Late Bloomers
Then there’s Fernando Alonso – proof that reputation, when backed by substance, still carries weight. The two-time world champion may not have had his strongest statistical season, but wringing performance out of a stubborn Aston Martin was enough to lift him to fifth, four spots higher than last year. Team principals, it seems, still value artistry under pressure.
Alonso edged out Carlos Sainz, who finished sixth following a quietly impressive second half of the season that included two podiums. It was a reminder that timing matters: finish strong, and people remember.
Charles Leclerc landed seventh after a frustrating, winless year with Ferrari – solid but unspectacular by his own lofty standards. Behind him came the standout new face: Ollie Bearman. The Haas driver was voted eighth, making him the highest-placed rookie and one of the season’s pleasant surprises.
Ninth went to Isack Hadjar, whose impressive debut with Racing Bulls earned him a ticket to Red Bull for 2026.
Completing the top 10 was Nico Hulkenberg, whose long-awaited first podium – arriving at attempt number 239 – clearly struck a chord with the paddock’s decision-makers.
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Only two Formula 1 teams make Forbes’ 2025 Top 50 listThe vote featured input from team leaders across the grid, including Andrea Stella, Toto Wolff, James Vowles, Alan Permane, Ayao Komatsu, Jonathan Wheatley, and Steve Nielsen, along with Aston Martin’s senior leadership group.
In the end, championships tell one story. Respect tells another. And according to Formula 1’s team principals, Max Verstappen remains the driver everyone measures themselves against – trophy or not.
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