Max Verstappen dominated the track in 2025, leading more laps than anyone else in Formula 1.
He might have missed out on the championship, but the four-time world champion’s performance was nothing short of remarkable when you look at the numbers.
Verstappen managed to score more pole positions and race wins than his rivals despite driving a car that just wasn’t as fast as the McLarens most weekends.
His lights-to-flag victory in Abu Dhabi pushed him to 454 total laps led for the season—just two more than Oscar Piastri.
The most surprising stat? Newly-crowned world champion Lando Norris actually spent less time at the front, with 373 laps led throughout the year.
George Russell had an impressive showing too. He was the only driver outside Red Bull and McLaren to win a race this season, leading for 103 laps total.
Charles Leclerc somehow managed to lead 48 laps without winning a single race all year.
Rookie sensation Kimi Antonelli got his moment in the sun with 11 laps led in his debut F1 season.
Lewis Hamilton‘s tough year is highlighted by just two laps spent at the front, while Alex Albon rounds out the list with a single lap led in his Williams.
Laps Led in 2025:
- Max Verstappen: 454
- Oscar Piastri: 452
- Lando Norris: 373
- George Russell: 103
- Charles Leclerc: 48
- Kimi Antonelli: 11
- Lewis Hamilton: 2
- Alex Albon: 1
‘Verstappen was the best driver in 2025, there isn’t any doubt on this one’
Former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer didn’t hold back in praising Verstappen’s incredible season. Even though he missed the title, many experts consider Max the standout performer of 2025.
“This was an unbelievable season for Max, who delivered some huge underdog performances early on to snatch a couple of wins from McLaren, before coming back strongly as a major threat in the final third of the season,” Palmer said, highlighting just how impressive Verstappen’s achievements were.
Read his full comments here.
Want to stay up-to-date with what happens in the F1 paddock? Then GPblog’s F1 Paddock Update video is the perfect way to do it. Subscribe to GPblog’s YouTube channel and turn on notifications to never miss the latest episodes.
