Since 2017, full-time drivers have been asked to vote for their Driver of the Year, and this year is no different.

Although drivers had the option to vote for themselves, it must be noted that none of them actually did, even though they knew their vote would be anonymous.

The scoring system works based on the current F1 points, with the top driver gaining 25 points down to 10th place who gains just the one.

As expected, Lewis Hamilton topped the rankings, with Max Verstappen comfortably sitting just behind in second place. The lovable Briton finished 2020 on a total of 347 points, winning his seventh world title, equalling Michael Schumacher’s record in the process.

Hamilton’s success this year proved his excellence, as much to even win the Sports Personality of the Year.

Verstappen took third place in the overall driver standings with two wins and 11 podium finishes. The Dutch international equals his best finish as he also secured a top three place back in 2019, but will be looking to better that in 2021, really pushing for that top spot.

Although Daniel Ricciardo recorded no wins this season, he still managed to get the plaudits from fellow drivers for his season, and it’s been said he’s responsible for Renault’s massive transformation. He secured a fifth-place finish in the 2020 driver standings, which is impressive, especially as he faced a highly-rated new teammate in the form of Esteban Ocon in 2020.

Charles Leclerc failed to finish four Grands Prix this season, but alternatively found himself pushing for the top three spots in races which he finished, including a second-place finish at Red Bull Ring and a third-place finish at Silverstone. Ferrari had a miserable season, with Leclerc’s teammate Sebastian Vettel finishing in a disappointing 13th place. Although Leclerc is hoping for improvements in 2021, he believes 2020 was his best season in Formula One.

A win at the Italian Grand Prix might have secured Pierre Gasly fifth place on this list, which is great to see for a driver who has had a rollercoaster ride as a Formula One driver. Following on from a strong 2019 finish, the AlphaTauri driver evidently took this momentum into an unprecedented 2020 campaign. He also found himself in 10th place in the 2020 driver standings despite his second best placing being fifth in Portugal.

George Russell earns himself a sixth-place spot in the Driver of the Year standings, and although he only scored a mere three points in total, he enjoyed a memorable 2020 as he continued to prove Mercedes made the right choice to back him in the first place. He earned himself the nickname “Mr Saturday” due to his impressive performances in qualifying rounds, maintaining his record of never being out-qualified by a teammate whilst also tearing apart rookie Nicholas Latifi 16-0. What is special is that Russell is only 22 years old and already showing such great promise in what has been a tough year.

Finding himself seventh on this list is Sergio Perez, after a glorious winning display at the Sakhir Grand Prix. The Mexican finished in a respectable fourth place in the 2020 driver standings, ending the season on 125 points. Perez was consistent over the whole campaign, which can be attributed to his experience. Memorable performances come from his first-place finish at the Bahrain International Circuit and his second-place finish at Intercity Istanbul Park.

After what can only be explained as an eventful season for Romain Grosjean, he secured himself 19th place in the 2020 driver standings, but eighth place on the Driver of the Year standings. The Switzerland-born Frenchman escaped his burning car as it erupted into flames after a horror crash at the Bahrain Grand Prix. His determination and pure love for the sport showed when he was keen to finish the season, understandably, however, his injuries held him back from this heroism.

This year was definitely a brilliant one for Carlos Sainz, with his best position coming at the Italian Grand Prix, where he narrowly lost out to Gasly by less than half a second. An impressive 12 top-10 finishes in the campaign proves the McLaren driver’s place on this list. The Spaniard’s achievements this season helps McLaren Racing to its most successful Formula One season in eight years.

Last on the list sits the youngster Alexander Albon in 10th place. Similarly to Sainz, he secured himself 12 top-10 finishes over the season, with his best result being third at both the Bahrain International Circuit and the Mugello Circuit. Despite his undeniable talent and his success in the 2020 season, Albon was demoted by Red Bull Racing due to the arrival of Perez.