Tweet not found
The embedded tweet could not be found…
F1 fans had mixed reactions to Sky Sports pundit Bernie Collins’ verdict on who was the best driver of the 2025 season.
The former Aston Martin head of strategy’s decision to name Oscar Piastri as the best driver of the recently concluded season caused quite a stir, with the Australian finishing third overall after a significant — and somewhat inexplicable — drop-off in form towards the end of the campaign.
By contrast, the other two title contenders stepped up when it mattered most, with Lando Norris clawing back a 34-point deficit after his Zandvoort retirement to clinch the title by the narrowest of margins over Max Verstappen in Abu Dhabi — the Dutchman himself having previously erased a gap of more than 100 points following his home race in the Netherlands.
Yet while her fellow pundits had no hesitation in naming the four-time world champion as the best driver of 2025, Collins opted to reward the Australian’s campaign — one he led for as many as 15 races before relinquishing the championship lead in Mexico.
Photo: Race Pictures
ADVERTISEMENT
Collins even placed Verstappen behind the newly crowned world champion, despite the Dutchman managing to haul himself back into a title fight that had looked all but over when considering Red Bull’s results and performance during the first half of the season.
Thanks to his pole position and victory in Abu Dhabi, Verstappen was at least able to take some consolation by ending the season as the driver with the most wins and pole positions, despite the MCL39 proving clearly superior to the RB21 for large stretches of the year.
How did F1 fans react to Bernie Collins rankings?
ADVERTISEMENT
Read also
GPblog's latest F1 Paddock Update
ADVERTISEMENT
Want to stay up-to-date with what happens in the F1 paddock? Then GPblog's F1 Paddock Update video is the perfect way to do it. Subscribe to GPblog's YouTube channel and turn on notifications to never miss the latest episodes.
Read more about:
latest news
Japanese Grand Prix
Overview
Friday 27.03.26
Practice 1
02:30 AM
Practice 2
06:00 AM
Saturday 28.03.26
Practice 3
02:30 AM
Qualification
06:00 AM
Sunday 29.03.26
Race
05:00 AM
Friday 27.03.26
Practice 1
Fri 02:30 AM
Practice 2
Fri 06:00 AM
Saturday 28.03.26
Practice 3
Sat 02:30 AM
Qualification
Sat 06:00 AM
Sunday 29.03.26
Race
Sun 05:00 AM
Times are in your local timezone
Rumors
Popular on GPBlog
1
Verstappen swaps Red Bull F1 car for Mercedes: testing underway
9270 times read
2
A grim update on Christian Horner's future in Formula 1
2588 times read
3
Verstappen responds to Red Bull issue with blunt 'I'm not an idiot' verdict
2336 times read
4
These drivers will join Max Verstappen in his first NLS race of 2026
1688 times read
F1-stand 2026
Season
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | MercedesMER | 51 | |
2 | MercedesMER | 47 | |
3 | FerrariFER | 34 | |
4 | FerrariFER | 33 | |
5 | HaasHAA | 17 | |
6 | McLarenMCL | 15 | |
7 | AlpineALP | 9 | |
8 | Red Bull RacingRBR | 8 | |
9 | Racing BullsRCB | 8 | |
10 | Racing BullsRCB | 4 |
Loading
