Team managers chose the best driver

      Every year in December, journalists from the championship's official website ask team principals to name the ten best drivers of the past season.

      Team principals are not allowed to name drivers from their own team, and those mentioned in the top ten receive points according to the usual system 25 – 18 – 15 – 12 – 10 – 8 – 6 – 4 – 2 – 1. The final number of points determines the position in the ranking.

      This year eight team principals agreed to name the best — only Red Bull and Ferrari declined, apparently to avoid breaching corporate ethics by naming drivers from other teams.

      Max Verstappen won this poll for the fifth year in a row. In second place was world champion Lando Norris, third — his teammate Oscar Piastri.

      Over the eighteen years the poll has been held, Lewis Hamilton has won it eight times, Max Verstappen five times, Sebastian Vettel three times and Fernando Alonso twice.

      Top ten drivers of 2025 according to team principals

      Driver

       Team

       2025 vs 2024

      

      1. Max Verstappen

       Red Bull

       =

      

      2. Lando Norris

       McLaren

       =

      

      3. Oscar Piastri

       McLaren

      

       1

      

      4. George Russell

       Mercedes

      

       2

      

      5. Fernando Alonso

       Aston Martin

      

       4

      

      6. Carlos Sainz

       Williams

      

       1

      

      7. Charles Leclerc

       Ferrari

      

       4

      

      8. Oliver Bearman

       Haas

       *

      

      9. Isack Hadjar

       Racing Bulls

       *

      

      10. Nico Hulkenberg

       Sauber

      

       2

      

      * - the driver did not make this poll's top ten last year