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Four-time world champion Max Verstappen topped the list of top 10 drivers for the 2024 F1 season ranked by team principals. In the Formula Racers-released list, Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc were placed second and third, respectively. Meanwhile, fans had mixed reactions to these ratings.
The 2024 F1 season concluded earlier this month with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. While Verstappen successfully defended his drivers' championship title, McLaren snapped out of its 26-year hiatus to clinch the constructors' title.
The season was eventful as competition got fierce in the second half. Red Bull and McLaren fought a cut-throat race, while Norris challenged Verstappen until the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
With the season in the books, Formula Racers dropped a list of the top 10 drivers voted on by all the team principals across the paddock. The top 3 rankings were similar to the championship standings. However, Lewis Hamilton saw himself drop to seventh, whereas Pierre Gasly found himself at no. 10.
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The ratings left the fans on X divided. While some agreed with Verstappen retaining his P1 spot, a few fans argued that Carlos Sainz and George Russell deserved better results.
"What were these team principals smoking??" a fan wrote.
"Norris 2nd ahead of Leclerc is laughable," another one said.
"Everyone is a Max fan," said another user.
A fan also questioned if the team principals actually watch the races closely enough to understand how each driver is performing.
"Team principal doesn’t watch f1 races??" wrote a user.
"Who voted Piastri 4th but Russell 6th? What is this nonsense," said another fan.
"Hamilton 7th?! Ridiculous," a fan exclaimed.
Meanwhile, for the 2025 F1 season, the grid will be witnessing a major overhaul. Hamilton will drive for Ferrari with rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli replacing him at Mercedes. Sergio Perez will be replaced by Liam Lawson, with Carlos Sainz moving to Williams. Many new faces will make their Formula 1 debuts, and with engine regulation changes on the horizon, the 2025 season promises to be an exciting ride.
Ex-Haas boss ranks Max Verstappen's 2024 championship win
In a conversation with the Red Flags podcast, former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner rated Max Verstappen's championship victory in the 2024 season above his maiden title in 2021. He explained that the 2021 title was a bit of luck, but this year, he had to fight hard (via thesportsrush):
"Yeah, 2021 in the end, he got a little bit lucky, to say the least. But this one, he had to fight for it, he was strategic. He had a lot of things going against him. For me, this one was his best one," said Steiner.
Verstappen won his maiden drivers' championship in 2021 after he beat Lewis Hamilton in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in the season's finale race. A last-lap shootout ordered by race director Michael Masi caused massive controversy as many claimed that Hamilton was robbed of his eighth championship title.
Since then, Max Verstappen has clinched three more back-to-back titles and remains the favorite for the upcoming season as well.
