Sky Sports pundit's Piastri-over-Verstappen pick for best 2025 driver sparks fan debate

Sky Sports pundit and former Aston Martin strategist Bernie Collins has ignited debate by naming Oscar Piastri, not the 2025 world champion or runner-up, as the best driver of the season. Her ranking placed the McLaren driver ahead of both Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, a verdict that has divided Formula 1 fans.

Why it matters:

Pundit power rankings are subjective but influential, shaping narratives around driver performance. Collins's choice to elevate Piastri—who led the championship for 15 races but ultimately finished third—over the two drivers who battled to the final lap for the title challenges conventional wisdom. It highlights the debate over whether season-long consistency or peak performance under ultimate pressure is the true mark of a season's best driver.

The details:

• Collins's controversial top-three ranking was: 1. Oscar Piastri, 2. Lando Norris, 3. Max Verstappen.
• This snub of Verstappen is particularly notable given the Dutchman's comeback; he erased a deficit of over 100 points after the Dutch Grand Prix to get back into title contention, despite Red Bull's RB21 being clearly inferior to McLaren's MCL39 for much of the year.
• Piastri's case is built on a stunning first half of the season where he established and maintained a championship lead, showcasing remarkable pace and racecraft.
• His campaign, however, was marred by a significant and somewhat inexplicable drop in form towards the season's end, which ultimately cost him the title.
• Norris, the eventual champion, is ranked second by Collins despite clawing back a 34-point deficit after his Zandvoort retirement to win the title in Abu Dhabi by the narrowest of margins.

Between the lines:

Collins's ranking rewards season-long excellence and perhaps the sheer shock value of Piastri's early dominance. It suggests that, in her view, leading the championship against the established titans for three-quarters of the season in only his third year carries more weight than the final championship standings. The reaction from fans—a mix of support for a fresh perspective and criticism for overlooking the title fight's climax—shows there is no universal metric for "best driver," blending statistics, narrative, and perceived difficulty.

What's next:

The debate is purely philosophical but sets the stage for 2026. All eyes will be on Piastri to see if he can eliminate the late-season inconsistencies and mount a full-season challenge, and on Verstappen and Norris to defend their status as the sport's peak performers. This pundit's call adds an extra layer of intrigue to their ongoing rivalry.