Everyone is naming Max Verstappen as the Driver of the Year for 2025, even British publications, who normally are biased toward British drivers.

The Mirror’s Daniel Moxon attended every 2025 race and has shared his personal end-of-season awards. Despite British driver Lando Norris winning the World Drivers Championship (because he had a superior car), Moxon and others maintain that Max Verstappen is head and shoulders above the rest.

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McLaren dominated the Constructors’ Championship, winning it early and finishing way ahead of everyone else. Lando Norris became the Drivers’ Champion, but he had tough battles with his teammate Oscar Piastri, Max Verstappen, and George Russell.

Related Article: Formula 1 News: Experts agree, Verstappen, not Norris was Driver of the Year

Moxon’s Votes

Driver of the Year: Max Verstappen

Even though he didn’t win the championship, Max Verstappen was the best driver overall. He won 8 races—more than Norris or Piastri—and finished super close to the title despite Red Bull’s challenges. He made the most of every opportunity.

To crystallize Verstappen’s dominance amid the controversy, consider these irrefutable stats from his Herculean campaign:
– Most Wins: 8 by Verstappen
– Most Poles: 8 by Verstappen
– Most Driver of the Days: 8 by Verstappen
– Most Laps Led: 454 by Verstappen
– Most Consecutive Podiums: 10 by Verstappen
– Biggest Comeback in F1 History: From a 104-point deficit to a 2-point runner-up finish
– Fastest Lap in F1 History: Set by Verstappen at Monza in Qualifying and in the race
– Fastest Race in F1 History: Monza, won by Verstappen

Related Article: Norris won the title, but everyone knows Verstappen the real champion

Team of the Year: McLaren

They poached design engineer Rob Marshall from Red Bull, and he made McLaren’s comeback amazing. Just two years ago, they were way off the pace. With Marshall now, they’ve won back-to-back Constructors’ titles and finished 364 points ahead of second place. Their car was strong all year.

Race of the Year: British Grand Prix at Silverstone

Silverstone delivered again, especially with rain making things wild. There were strategy mistakes, crashes, and exciting action. Lando Norris won his home race in front of a reported 500,000 fans over the 4-day weekend, and Nico Hulkenberg finally got his first podium after a record 239 starts.

Overtake of the Year: Verstappen on Norris at Zandvoort

Verstappen went around the outside of Norris at Turn 2, slid wildly but saved it without crashing—and kept the position. It was an incredible move.

Runners-up: Verstappen on Piastri at Imola (made everyone gasp) and Piastri on Lewis Hamilton in Melbourne (a bold outside pass at high speed).

Rookie of the Year: Isack Hadjar

Flop of the Year: Lewis Hamilton

Hamilton’s first year at Ferrari was a huge disappointment. After all the hype, he had few highlights (like a Sprint win in Shanghai) and struggled. It was one of the toughest seasons for a seven-time champion. He certainly misses that extra 50 hp and superior Aldo Costa designed chassis that made him unbeatable at Mercedes.

Most Improved: Carlos Sainz Jr.

He was a winner at Ferrari yet lost his ride to washed up Lewis Hamilton who was the ‘flop’ of the year.  At Williams, he brought the team podiums they had no business winning.

Numpty (Silly) of the Year: John Elkann (Ferrari Chairman)

Ferrari’s boss claimed everything was fine except the drivers, who should “talk less.”

Jimmie Johnson, who retired from full-time NASCAR Cup Series competition at the end of the 2020 season, is set to enter his fourth year as a part-time driver for Legacy Motor Club, the team he co-owns, this coming February.

After announcing that he plans to compete in the inaugural race at Naval Base Coronado in June, bringing an end to the rumor that he plans to completely retire with exactly 700 starts, he confirmed that he once again plans to compete in the season-opening Daytona 500 as well.

Johnson has run the Daytona 500 every year since 2023, and it is one of just two races he has run in each of the past three years, the other being the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May.

In 2025, he placed third in the “Great American Race”, marking by far his best finish since returning to the series in 2023, and tying his best finish since he scored his 83rd and most recent victory at Dover Motor Speedway in 2017.

Jimmie Johnson at risk of missing the Daytona 500 in 2026?

Johnson’s No. 84 Toyota is one of two confirmed non-chartered (open) cars on the entry list for February’s 200-lap race around the four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) high-banked Daytona International Speedway oval; the other is the No. 40 JR Motorsports Chevrolet, which is set to be driven by Justin Allgaier.

Two open cars are set to qualify for the race in the single-car qualifying session, and two others are set to qualify in the two Duel races. However, if a world-class provisional is issued, like it was for Trackhouse Racing’s Helio Castroneves earlier this year, an extra car could be added to the starting lineup.

There are six other cars expected to be added to the Daytona 500 entry list between now and qualifying: the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, the No. 44 NY Racing Team Chevrolet, the No. 62 Beard Motorsports Chevrolet, the No. 66 Garage 66 Ford, the No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota, and the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet.

Confirmations of these six entries would bring the entry list to 44 cars, including eight open cars. Without the world-class provisional, four of these eight cars would qualify, and the other four would fail to do so.

But Johnson is eligible for the world-class provisional, although whether or not NASCAR has issued it has yet to be confirmed. If he gets it, it would mean that, if he isn’t one of the two drivers who qualifies for the race on speed in the single-car qualifying session and he also isn’t one of the two drivers who qualifies for the race via his Duel result, he would still be added to the field.

It would mean that five open cars, not just four, would get into the race, bringing the car count to exactly 41 for just the second time since 1993, rather than the usual 40.

Trackhouse Racing are not expected to field their PROJECT91 car for Castroneves, or for anybody else, this coming February, so it’s hard to imagine that Johnson would not be granted this provisional, especially since so few other open entries have been formally announced thus far.

Danica Patrick has revealed that she was “blown away” by the negativity and labels she faced after expressing her love for the American flag. Patrick, a former IndyCar and NASCAR star, entered the political arena a couple of years ago, first attending Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest in 2023 as a spectator, before being invited to speak at the political organization’s “United for Change” campaign rally in support of President Donald Trump in October 2024.

Just two days before the November 5 election, Patrick was tapped by Trump to speak at one of his rallies in the final days of the Presidential election, where he was securing his return to the White House for a second non-consecutive term, after defeating Vice President Kamala Harris. However, it was Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point that helped inspire the former motorsports star to step into the realm of politics.

A few months after the founder’s assassination in Utah, Patrick was invited to speak again in front of thousands at TPUSA’s latest political conference. Following Kirk’s death, Patrick was one of many who grieved the passing of the political giant and was compelled to help carry on his legacy.

On stage on Saturday, Patrick revealed how she was “blown away” by labels placed on her for expressing her love for the American flag after stepping into the political arena. To some, she was a MAGA Republican, and not an American first.

“Who else’s first political event? Not just AmFest, but has anyone been to? This was the first one, and I was so blown away, just the energy and the people,” Patrick said. Like, it’s palpable to just be in the room.

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“And so it led me on a journey that I couldn’t have expected, of which led me to speaking at AmFest last year, which I think you saw some pictures up here. And the point of that conversation for me was how blown away I was that saying I love this country or loving the American flag, wearing the American flag, meant somehow that I was a MAGA Republican and wasn’t just American.

And I said that the job is not done until that means I’m American, right, to be able to just say I love this country. It should be that easy.”

Patrick also claimed she was a Native American in a past life. She explained how she visited a “regression therapist” to help her discover more about her history. “So I want to share a story with you, and it’s a little bit of a unique story – I did a past-life regression,” she began. “I don’t know if anyone knows what that is, but it occurred to me that maybe somebody wouldn’t.

“So a past-life regression is when you meet with a past-life regression therapist, you get into a very meditative state, very relaxed, and they guide you through being able to access memories to your past lives.

“And I was somewhere in like Nevada or Utah, and I was a Native American. And I had a stick, and I left my tribe. And I journeyed south, and I was on my way to what would have been like original L.A. when it was first sort of civilized.” She then noted that her intention with sharing the bizarre experience was that it showed how those in attendance should live their lives.

“… And the message was that I could be killed for doing what I loved and what was meant for me and my passion, or I could die inside anyway,” she continued. “And that the mission is to stand true to what it is that you want to do and the mission at hand, and let it play out. And I think you guys have probably all heard what Charlie Kirk wanted to be remembered for.”