EXCLUSIVE: The top 10 F1 drivers of 2025 – as chosen by the drivers

Max Verstappen's extraordinary end-of-season comeback may have ultimately come up short in his quest for a fifth successive Formula 1 World Championship crown, but that didn't stop him being voted driver of the year for the fifth time in a row by his peers in our exclusive poll.

In the eighth edition of our Drivers' Driver of the Year vote, we asked the grid to rate their rivals and rank their top 10 drivers of 2025.

Drivers can vote for themselves though, as in previous years, many didn't and most didn't put themselves on top. Each list is submitted on the proviso it would remain secret.

Scores were given based on the current F1 points system, with the top driver on each list earning 25 points down to one point for the driver in 10th. Those totals are then combined to create an overall top 10.

Verstappen mounted a remarkable fightback in the final stint of the season, winning six of the final nine Grands Prix to finish just two points shy of championship leader Lando Norris, having been 104 off the lead after the Dutch Grand Prix in August.

The Red Bull racer edged out Norris for top spot in our exclusive pool, with six drivers putting him top of their respective lists.

Norris, who clinched his maiden Formula 1 title after fending off Verstappen and team mate Oscar Piastri, finished second in our ranking for the second year in a row.

George Russell completed the podium, up one place relative to last year, after a superb season with Mercedes that yielded two Grand Prix wins and seven further podiums.

Piastri was heavy favourite for the title heading into the summer break and led the championship by 34 points at one stage before a drop in form in the autumn dropped him out of contention. He ended up fourth in our ranking, one place higher than last year.

Ferrari had a difficult campaign and ended the year P4 in the Teams' Championship, two places lower than last year where they were in contention for the title until the final race. Charles Leclerc made the most of the car he had in 2025, to take seven podiums – but he drops two places to fifth.

Carlos Sainz bounced back from a difficult start to life at Williams with a sensational second-half of the season that yielded not one but two podiums. His antics earned him P6 in our ranking, the same spot where he ended up last year when he raced for Ferrari.

Fernando Alonso clocked in at number seven – a rise of two spots. The double World Champion squeezed into the top 10 in the standings with some outstanding drives in an Aston Martin that finished P7 in the championship.

There were then three new entries to complete the top 10. Alex Albon's best-ever season for Williams with P8 in the standings was rewarded with the same position in our rankings.

Rookies Ollie Bearman and Isack Hadjar were voted P9 and P10 respectively by their rivals after impressive debut seasons. Bearman had a super five-race scoring run that included P4 in Mexico while Hadjar took a maiden podium at Zandvoort.

Alpine's Pierre Gasly just missed out on a spot in the top 10, the Frenchman impressing with 10 Q3 appearances despite having the slowest car on the grid.

Seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton failed to make an appearance in the top 10 for the first time since this ranking began after a difficult debut season with Ferrari.

The drivers who agreed to take part in the vote (in alphabetical order) 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, Max Verstappen.