Best Formula 1 drivers 2025

13 ELO points separate Charles Leclerc from Max Verstappen at the top of the Formula 1 ranking, after 1982 duels.

The gap tightens dramatically below the podium. While Oscar Piastri holds third place with 1357 ELO points, the sharpest divide appears between fourth and fifth: 41 ELO points separate Lando Norris from Isack Hadjar, marking the ranking's most pronounced break. Leclerc's lead over Verstappen remains narrow despite his 63% win rate across 208 duels, suggesting sustained competition between the two drivers. At the bottom, Lance Stroll and Jack Doohan share the lowest ELO score of 956 points, with both struggling to convert duels into wins. Stroll's 26% win rate over 149 duels places him at the foot of the grid, while Gabriel Bortoleto sits just above at rank 18 with 1036 ELO points.

This ranking draws from 1982 duels contributed by 33 players, covering all 20 contenders on the grid. The data was last updated on 12 October 2026. The tight margins at the top and the decisive gap below Norris reflect a community split between established favorites and emerging names. To shape this ranking further, head to the Formula 1 TopList and vote in head-to-head duels. Each choice refines the standings and sharpens the picture of who the community backs for the season ahead.

Updated on October 12, 2026

How this ranking is computed

Every duel won lifts a contender and every loss drops them, by an amount that depends on the opponent's strength: beating the leader is worth more than beating the last. It is an ELO, the same principle as in chess. Duels are not drawn at random — an adaptive entropy sort puts the least predictable match-ups first, which settles the ranking far faster than a full round robin. A worldwide ranking is only published past 30 completed plays. Known limit: a contender who has faced few opponents keeps an approximate score, and the bottom of the table moves more than the podium.

How our rankings are made →