Max Verstappen was named the highest-ranked driver of the 2025 Formula 1 season in the official F1 Power Rankings.

The Red Bull driver ended the year with an 8.6 average score, ahead of McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

Verstappen also received the highest score of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, a 9.6, after taking pole position and securing his eighth win of the season.

Despite a late-season comeback that included three consecutive victories, he missed the championship by two points to Norris. Charles Leclerc and Fernando Alonso tied for the second-highest Abu Dhabi score with 8.8. Norris received an 8.6 for the final race and finished the season ranked fourth overall with an 8.2 average. George Russell and Leclerc completed the top five.

McLaren CEO Zak Brown described Max Verstappen as the “greatest driver of the modern era” while reflecting on McLaren’s double-title success in 2025.

Speaking on talkSPORT, Brown said beating Red Bull “was not easy,” calling the team “unbelievable” and singling out Verstappen despite Lando Norris having just secured his first World Championship with a P3 finish in Abu Dhabi.

Verstappen missed the title by two points after winning the season finale, ending his run of four consecutive championships.

The comments placed Verstappen above Norris, even as McLaren celebrated their Drivers’ and Constructors’ titles.

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