F1 Bosses Have Spoken! Team Principals Reveal Their 2025 Driver Rankings

The Formula 1 pecking order for 2025 is in — and surprise! Once again, it is Max Verstappen who reigns supreme.

Despite missing out on the world championship — by a mere two points — the Red Bull star has been voted the best driver of the 2025 season by F1’s team principals, extending his grip on the top spot for a fifth consecutive year in the annual poll.

As has become tradition, team bosses from across the grid submitted their personal top-10 rankings at the end of the campaign. Drivers were then awarded points using F1’s race scoring system, producing a combined list that reflects the paddock’s collective verdict — not just the final standings.

🚨 | F1 drivers ranked by team principals!

Should someone else be in or out? 🧐 pic.twitter.com/ufhwWsKCmD

— Race+ (@racepluscom) December 29, 2025

Verstappen’s No.1 finish came after a ferocious late-season surge. Winning six of the final nine Grands Prix, the Dutchman dragged himself back into title contention and ultimately finished just two points behind champion Lando Norris. The title slipped away, but the respect of his rivals’ bosses did not.

Norris, fresh off his championship-winning campaign and seven race victories, finished second in the vote, while McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri claimed third, mirroring his position in the standings after an impressive year as an early title pace-setter.

George Russell climbed to fourth, two places higher than last year, following a standout Mercedes campaign that delivered two wins and seven podiums.

Veteran brilliance was rewarded, too. Fernando Alonso, battling an unruly Aston Martin, jumped four spots to fifth, edging out Carlos Sainz in sixth after the Ferrari driver’s strong second half of the season.

A winless year left Charles Leclerc in seventh, while Ollie Bearman impressed enough to become the highest-ranked rookie in eighth. Fellow newcomer Isack Hadjar took ninth, with Nico Hulkenberg — finally a podium finisher after 239 races — rounding out the top 10.

Eight teams took part in the vote, with Red Bull and Ferrari abstaining. Even so, the message was clear: titles matter — but brilliance behind the wheel matters more.