Max Verstappen Names Leclerc, Alonso Best F1 Drivers, Omits Hamilton

Max Verstappen, a four-time consecutive Formula 1 World Champion, has publicly excluded Lewis Hamilton from his list of the top drivers on the 2025 grid, instead praising Charles Leclerc and Fernando Alonso for their respective skills. Verstappen named Leclerc as the best in qualifying and overtaking, highlighting the Monegasque driver's exceptional one-lap speed and aggressive racing style. Meanwhile, he lauded Alonso for his racecraft, intelligence, defensive driving, and competitive mentality, emphasizing the veteran driver's experience and fighting spirit. This comes amid Verstappen's continued dominance, including a recent commanding victory at the Italian Grand Prix, while Hamilton, now 40 and racing for Ferrari, has struggled to reach the podium in 2025. Verstappen's choices reflect his view of the current grid's strengths, favoring a blend of Leclerc's raw speed and Alonso's race smarts, and mark a notable omission given Hamilton's historic rivalry with Verstappen. The Red Bull driver declined to mention himself in the rankings and also refrained from naming the most charismatic driver on the grid.