Home F1 Verstappen chosen as best of F1 2023 by team principals too

SAO PAULO, BRAZIL - NOVEMBER 05: (L-R) Second placed, Lando Norris of Great Britain and McLaren, Jeff Calam, Senior Projects Engineer at Red Bull Racing, Race winner, Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing and Third placed, Fernando Alonso of Spain and Aston Martin F1 Team celebrate on the podium during the F1 Grand Prix of Brazil at Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace on November 05, 2023 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202311050829 // Usage for editorial use only //

Verstappen chosen as best of F1 2023 by team principals too

29/12/2023

Max Verstappen has been chosen as the best driver of F1 2023 by the 10 team principals too, ahead of Fernando Alonso.

Much like how it was in the 2022 F1 season, Red Bull’s Verstappen has been chosen as the best driver of the 2023 season by team principals after he secured his third world championship. The Dutchman was a no brainer considering the year he has had.

But the field behind him is interesting and different from how the F1 drivers ranked themselves. Unlike the drivers’ choice of Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, the team bosses have chosen Aston Martin’s Alonso to be second – who makes a massive six places from 2022.

In fact, Hamilton is down to fifth with McLaren’s Lando Norris making in the Top 3 after jumping up by three places from his 2022 position. The Brit was chose as fourth best by the drivers, but the team bosses have one upped him to be third.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc is fourth – going down two places from his 2022 ranking. The Monegasque has beaten Hamilton, with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz in sixth as he makes up one place from 2022. The Spaniard is in the same position as per the drivers’ ranking.

Like the drivers’ list, both McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Williams’ Alexander Albon make it in the Top 10 as new entrants when compared to 2022 season. The Australian F1 rookie is seventh from the Thai – their places are interchanged from the drivers’ list.

While he didn’t find a place in the drivers’ list, Mercedes’ George Russell is in the team bosses’ one in ninth – going down by six places from 2022. The list is rounded out by Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, who has also lost five places from 2022 season.

The drivers’ list had Alpine’s Pierre Gasly in place of Russell, while the 2022 list had Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas and Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel, who are not part of the list this year – being replaced by Piastri and Albon.

The team principals who took part in the vote were: Alessandro Alunni Bravi, Bruno Famin, Christian Horner, Mike Krack, Guenther Steiner, Andrea Stella, Franz Tost, Fred Vasseur, James Vowles, Toto Wolff.