Max Verstappen beats Lewis Hamilton AGAIN! Newly-crowned world champion is voted F1 Driver of the Year by his fellow racers… but both Mercedes and Red Bull REFUSED to cast their votes
- Max Verstappen won his maiden F1 championship ahead of Lewis Hamilton
- Tense title race came down to final lap and Dutchman’s win was controversial
- Despite Mercedes appealing, the decision was made to uphold the result
- Verstappen has been recognised by his peers as drivers as driver of the year
Max Verstappen has been voted as Formula One driver of the year by his peers.
The Dutchman, who won his maiden world championship in controversial and thrilling circumstances ahead of Lewis Hamilton, saw off the British star for the prize.
According to MotorSport Week, Verstappen topped the poll conducted by Formula One bosses who canvassed all the drivers.
Max Verstappen has been voted as the driver of the year by fellow Formula One drivers
He pipped Lewis Hamilton to the post, just as he did in the season finale in Abu Dhabi
Hamilton was unsurprisingly in second place with Lando Norris third in the poll.
An interesting side note is that drivers from Mercedes and Red Bull, the two teams who were locked in such a bitter title race, declined to participate in the vote, as did Alfa Romeo.
So a total of 14 drivers then cast their ballots using the same points scoring system as in every F1 race.
The person in first was given 25 points, second received 18 while third had 15. It is understood that Verstappen also topped the charts in a vote cast by team bosses.
Verstappen claimed his maiden Formula One triumph at the Yas Marina circuit
The Dutchman won the championship on the final lap of the final race of the season having taken advantage of a safety car by changing his tyres.
The race director then allowed him to pass enough lapped cars to have a duel with Hamilton on the final lap and he passed the Brit.
Elsewhere in the rankings, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Charles LeClerc finished fourth and fifth with Fernando Alonso and Pierre Gasley sixth and seventh.
Williams’ George Russell was eighth, Estaban Ocon ninth and Mick Schumacher tenth, meaning Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez failed to make the list.
The Dutchman, pictured here with his drivers’ champion trophy, had a stellar season
