That is because the team principals have voted Verstappen the best-driver of F1 2025, meaning he has become a five-time consecutive champion in this particular category. The newly-crowned Drivers’ Champion Lando Norris was made to settle for second, while Lewis Hamilton plummeted out of the top 10.

Max Verstappen wins principals vote; Lewis Hamilton out of top 10

Verstappen almost pulled off one of the all-time great comebacks in F1 2025. From 104 points off the Championship lead, he wrestled his Red Bull to an Abu Dhabi title decider.

He won that Grand Prix, ending the season with three wins in a row, but missed out on the title to Norris by just two points.

Verstappen’s efforts certainly did not escape the attention of the team principals.

The Formula 1 website held its customary vote among the team bosses for the best driver of F1 2025, in their collective opinion.

Each team boss submitted their top 10 list, a personal ranking which remains strictly anonymous.

The scoring works the same as the F1 points system, meaning the driver voted P1 gets 25 points, down to a single point for the driver voted P10.

Verstappen made it five in a row, voted the best driver of F1 2025, with Norris coming in second.

Oscar Piastri – who led the Drivers’ Championship for large parts of the season – was P3 in the team bosses’ ranking, as he was in the final Drivers’ Championship classification.

George Russell’s standout F1 2025, meanwhile, netted him P4.

Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton lost out big time year to year.

Leclerc dropped from third in 2024 to seventh on the F1 2025 list, despite driving a disappointing Ferrari SF-25 to seven podium finishes.

Hamilton meanwhile, having ranked seventh in 2024, was ousted from the top 10 after an extremely underwhelming first season with Ferrari.

Eight of the 10 team bosses cast their votes. Red Bull’s Laurent Mekies and Ferrari’s Fred Vasseur did not take part.