Holding the top spot in Pit Debrief’s F1 2025 driver rankings is Max Verstappen after an incredible season. While the first half of the season exposed Red Bull’s inherent issues with the RB21, the team and its driver prevailed, making a fantastic recovery. The Dutchman might have lost the title, yet his driving and perseverance were of championship calibre.
Finishing the 2025 season in second place at a 2-point gap from Lando Norris, Verstappen accumulated a total of 421 points across 24 rounds. Furthermore, the Dutchman ended 2025 as the driver with the most wins, 8. In a season where the odds looked to be stacked against him, Max Verstappen managed to close an over-100-point gap in a seemingly all-McLaren title fight.
Initial trouble
With the 2024 Constructors’ winners already showcasing a shift in Red Bull Racing’s domination, the 2025 season began with a telling Papaya victory. Max Verstappen started his season behind Norris after mixed conditions in Australia. Despite being able to put pressure on the McLaren future champion throughout the race, Verstappen’s efforts alone weren’t enough.
Nonetheless, this early season did not only bring suffering for the Red Bull driver. In a most fascinating turn of events, the Dutchman snatched two wins at Suzuka and Imola. Yet, it became clear that there was an obvious problem with the RB21’s performance. Missing out on a podium finish completely at the Chinese Grand Prix, the second round of 2025, only highlighted the dip in performance Red Bull Racing was experiencing. Shocking races at Bahrain and Hungary would follow.
This disheartening atmosphere in RB only continued to impact Max Verstappen’s faith in the car. The early 2025 F1 season featured a lot of disappointment and frustrations, which the Dutchman made clear in radio messages and post-event press statements. Yet, his worst result in 2025 came from the Austrian GP DNF as Antonelli divebombed and took both himself and Verstappen out in turn 3.
Up until the Dutch GP, Verstappen’s hopes for the title were all but lost in the sea of McLaren victories. However, what happened after these initial failures is what put Max Verstappen high in most F1 driver rankings.
The first signs of recovery
The turning point of Max Verstappen’s 2025 F1 season happened just after his triumphant drive at the Italian GP. While his Dutch GP point gap from the top was 104, the stunning run on Italian soil tossed the Dutchman back into the fight. In an absolutely imposing race, Verstappen left Norris in the dust. His victory came in the form of an almost 20-second margin (Lando Norris, +19.207s).
This resurgence continued as the Red Bull driver went on to dominate the Azerbaijan GP. Taking advantage of McLaren’s mistakes and Piastri’s DNF, he won by another imposing margin. Marking perhaps Verstappen’s greatest strength in the championship battle this season, the 28-year-old managed to capitalise on every McLaren mistake or controversial team order.
Yet, Max Verstappen’s resurgent drive did not stop there. After the Italian race, the Red Bull driver never finished outside the podium in all of the remaining 8 rounds. Putting an effective stop to McLaren’s streak of victories, he steadily acquired points after points in his competitive recovery. Consistency marks another one of Verstappen’s championship-winning assets that positively impacted his place in Pit Debrief‘s F1 driver rankings.
An important aspect of the shift in Red Bull Racing’s overall prowess was the dismissal of Christian Horner. Ever since the Briton was replaced by Laurent Mekies, the new Team Principal made an effort to prioritise listening to their star driver. The TP went on to praise Verstappen’s dedication and constructive feedback in multiple statements throughout the rest of 2025.
A title fight right to the very end
The most successful race weekend for Max Verstappen happened at the F1 US GP. During that Sprint weekend, the Dutchman’s results were the perfect boost he needed in a well-maximised run. In a commanding show of skill, the 28-year-old won both the Sprint and Sunday’s race.
While McLaren was focused on their internal battles with Norris and Piastri as the primary contenders for the title, Verstappen’s challenging form took everyone by surprise. This advantageous turn of events saw the Red Bull driver cut down into the gap to P1 in the championship. Keeping close to Norris in Mexico and São Paulo with P3 finishes, the three title contenders went into the final triple header.
With increasingly small gaps between the drivers, Max Verstappen’s victory streak in the last three race weekends put pressure on Norris right until the end. Coming from a 104-point gap to a real, palpable chance for a fifth championship, the Dutchman headed into the season finale. If Verstappen won with Norris finishing P4 or lower, the title would have been his.
Despite a close-to-perfect Abu Dhabi GP, his rival finished P3, claiming the title. Nevertheless, Max Verstappen’s final victory showcased exactly why he earned the championship in four consecutive years. The Red Bull driver avoided all pressure and mental games, kept his drive clean and finished the 2025 F1 season with the most wins out of any other driver. His control, unwillingness to give up and tenacity earned Verstappen P1 in the Pit Debrief F1 driver rankings.
He also demolished teammates Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda, with the Japanese driver only getting ahead once on a Friday or Saturday, in Sprint Qualifying at Qatar.
Looking ahead to 2026
Taking the loss with grace, Max Verstappen’s approach to the Drivers’ Championship in 2025 was his biggest advantage. While he battled two drivers with a faster car, he kept his head low as he avoided mistakes and capitalised on theirs. His matter-of-fact mentality to the championship allowed him to give it his all for every single race.
While many counted him out of the fight early on, even himself, he pushed through doubt and frustrations. Topping the Pit Debrief F1 driver rankings, Verstappen managed to rejoin a fight many thought he had no place in.
Looking to start 2026 with new regulations, Red Bull Racing has the chance to recover on the mechanical side. Fixing mistakes in design and optimising the next car model will be key to providing a fast car for their star driver. Because if Max Verstappen proved anything this season, it is to not count him out unless the final chequered flag is waved.
