F1 causes a sensation with driver rankings – Verstappen not number one

Max Verstappen won nine grands prix this season, five more than nearest rival Lando Norris.

He also started from pole position on eight occasions en route to claiming his fourth consecutive drivers’ title, and despite a faltering RB20 he described as “a monster” at one stage.

Yet the Red Bull driver – somehow – does not end up as the best driver of the season according to Formula 1.

Instead, Verstappen has had to settle for second place in F1’s Power Rankings overseen by a panel of five judges who evaluate each driver after each race, handing them a score from 1 to 10 based on their performance over a weekend, disregarding the car.

In the all-year rankings, Verstappen was still leading before the final race, but the judges did not include him in the top 10 best drivers of that weekend for his performance in Abu Dhabi. As a result, he had to relinquish spot No. 1 in the Power Ranking at the last minute. Winner Lando Norris received the highest mark from the judges in Abu Dhabi and thus also took the overall victory. Norris received an average of 8.2 from the judges over the entire season, while Verstappen stuck with 8.1. A consolation prize for Norris, but still a remarkable result.

View the full standings below.