Max Verstappen has another accolade for his mantelpiece, with the Red Bull driver coming out on top in our exclusive poll of his peers…
In the fifth running of our Drivers’ Driver of the Year vote, we asked this year’s full-time drivers to assess their rivals’ performance on track and create their personal top 10 ranking.
READ MORE: The F1 team bosses choose their top 10 drivers of 2022
As in previous years, the rules allow drivers to vote for themselves – with not all of them choosing to do so – and they submitted their ranking on the proviso it would remain secret.
Scores were given based on the current F1 points system, with the top driver on each list earning 25 points down to one point for the driver in 10th. We then combined the list to create an overall top 10.
SECRET SANTA: What did the F1 drivers give each other for Christmas?
Verstappen followed up his success in our team boss ranking by once again beating title rival and Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc to top spot.
Mercedes duo Lewis Hamilton and George Russell could not be split by their peers and share the final podium place.
McLaren’s Lando Norris – the only non-Red Bull, Mercedes or Ferrari driver to take a podium in 2022 – was voted fifth by his peers, one place higher than in the team boss rankings.
Aston Martin-bound Fernando Alonso was sixth, one place ahead of countryman Carlos Sainz in a reverse positioning of the team boss ranking.
WATCH: Daring lunges, wheel-banging, and strategic thinking – The top 10 battles of the 2022 season
Alex Albon’s fantastic performance in a largely uncompetitive Williams impressed his rivals, with the Thai driver in a three-way tie for eighth with Sergio Perez and the retiring Sebastian Vettel.
The drivers who took part in the vote (in alphabetical order) were: Alex Albon, Fernando Alonso, Valtteri Bottas, Pierre Gasly, Nicholas Latifi, Charles Leclerc, Kevin Magnussen, Lando Norris, Esteban Ocon, Sergio Perez, Daniel Ricciardo, George Russell, Carlos Sainz, Mick Schumacher, Lance Stroll, Yuki Tsunoda, Max Verstappen, Sebastian Vettel, Zhou Guanyu.
