F1: Verstappen Named Top Driver, Not Norris | 2024 Updates

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Max Verstappen has been dethroned as world champion in Abu Dhabi, but his status in the sport has only become more impressive. According to a jury panel of Formula1.com Verstappen was not only the strongest driver in Abu Dhabi, but he was also the best driver in the whole of 2025. The Limburger has been seen as the reference point for his nineteen colleagues for years.
Verstappen ultimately did not win the world title, but he did perform a stunt by taking ten podium places in a row and winning six of the last nine Grands Prix. In addition, the Limburger took the most pole positions and led the most laps. Although Lando Norris did enough to maintain the championship lead in Abu Dhabi, Verstappen has earned a lot of respect for his dominant performance.

Verstappen clearly the best in Abu Dhabi

Five jury members from Formula1.com gave Verstappen an average of 9.6 for his performance at the Yas Marina Circuit. It is not known who will be on the jury Power Rankings are there, but you probably think of names like Lawrence Barretto, Jolyon Palmer, and James Hinchcliffe. Although his reign as world champion came to an end in Abu Dhabi after 1,457 days, Verstappen probably could not have ended his season better.

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Verstappen became world champion for the first time on December 12, 2021.

“The Red Bull driver was in top form and took pole position before also taking a dominant eighth win of the season, finishing just two points behind Lando Norris,” reads the explanation of Verstappen’s top figure. Since the summer break, Verstappen has been 86 points behind the eventual world champion and after the race in Zandvoort, he turned his 104-point deficit to Oscar Piastri into an eleven-point lead.

Norris and Piastri miss out on the podium

Verstappen stood alone in Abu Dhabi, because the other drivers did not come close to his score. Charles Leclerc and Fernando Alonso share second place with an 8.8. Leclerc dragged his mediocre Ferrari to a good fourth place, while Alonso won the battle of the midfielders with a sixth place. By cleverly slowing down the competition in the latter sector, Alonso gave his employer seventh place among the manufacturers.
Norris did what he had to do in Abu Dhabi and finishes in the Power Rankings in fourth place with an 8.6, just ahead of teammate Piastri (8.4). Esteban Ocon (8.2), Nico Hülkenberg (7.4), George Russell (7.0), Gabriel Bortoleto (7.0), and Oliver Bearman (6.6) complete the top ten. The Haas driver lost two points due to a time penalty after the finish, after changing direction too often on the straight. Lewis Hamilton finished outside the top ten, as did Kimi Antonelli and Yuki Tsunoda.

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Who was the best rookie of 2025?

Verstappen once again the best driver

Verstappen has already been designated as the best driver of the season at the 2021 to 2024 Power Rankings. Although the Red Bull driver missed out on the title, he has the highest average of everyone with an 8.6. World champion Norris follows at an appropriate distance in second with an 8.2. Oscar Piastri was still at the top of the rankings halfway through the season Power Rankings, but has fallen back considerably and occupies the last podium spot with an 8.0.

a]:text-primary [&>a]:underline dark:[&>a]:text-primaryDark [&>a]:font-bold”>Average
a]:text-primary [&>a]:underline dark:[&>a]:text-primaryDark [&>a]:font-bold”>8,6
a]:text-primary [&>a]:underline dark:[&>a]:text-primaryDark [&>a]:font-bold”>8,2
a]:text-primary [&>a]:underline dark:[&>a]:text-primaryDark [&>a]:font-bold”>8,0
a]:text-primary [&>a]:underline dark:[&>a]:text-primaryDark [&>a]:font-bold”>7,7
a]:text-primary [&>a]:underline dark:[&>a]:text-primaryDark [&>a]:font-bold”>7,7
a]:text-primary [&>a]:underline dark:[&>a]:text-primaryDark [&>a]:font-bold”>7,1
a]:text-primary [&>a]:underline dark:[&>a]:text-primaryDark [&>a]:font-bold”>7,1
a]:text-primary [&>a]:underline dark:[&>a]:text-primaryDark [&>a]:font-bold”>7,1
a]:text-primary [&>a]:underline dark:[&>a]:text-primaryDark [&>a]:font-bold”>7,0
a]:text-primary [&>a]:underline dark:[&>a]:text-primaryDark [&>a]:font-bold”>6,9

Charles Leclerc and George Russell share fourth place with an average of 7.7. We then find three drivers in shared sixth position: Isack Hadjar, Alexander Albon, and Fernando Alonso. With his sixth place, Hadjar is the best rookie of the year. Oliver Bearman also makes the top ten with a 7.0, while Nico Hülkenberg occupies the last place in the top ten with a 6.9. Hülkenberg only reached the top ten in the overall standings for the first time in Abu Dhabi Power Rankings. Carlos Sainz actually dropped out of the top ten after Abu Dhabi.

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Aiko Tanaka

Aiko Tanaka is a combat sports journalist and general sports reporter at Archysport. A former competitive judoka who represented Japan at the Asian Games, Aiko brings firsthand athletic experience to her coverage of judo, martial arts, and Olympic sports. Beyond combat sports, Aiko covers breaking sports news, major international events, and the stories that cut across disciplines — from doping scandals to governance issues to the business side of global sport. She is passionate about elevating the profile of underrepresented sports and athletes.

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