“A lot of TPs salty that Lewis Hamilton was beating them for years”: Fans react to top 10 drivers of the season according to F1 bosses

Team Principals have ranked the top 10 F1 drivers once again at the end of the 2023 season.

Following his dominant third world title win in 2023, Max Verstappen has been voted the Driver of the Year for the third season in a row by Formula 1’s team principals in the annual poll. The Dutchman won a staggering 19 out of 22 races.

Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin was ranked second by the F1 bosses after the Spaniard clinched a total of eight podium finishes this season. McLaren's Lando Norris was third, followed by Ferrari ace Charles Leclerc. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton, who finished P3 in the Drivers' Championship standings, was awarded P5 by the team principals.

Below is the entire rating of the Top 10 Drivers in 2023, according to Team Principals:

1. Max Verstappen

2. Fernando Alonso

3. Lando Norris

4. Charles Leclerc

5. Lewis Hamilton

6. Carlos Sainz

7. Oscar Piastri

8. Alex Albon

9. George Russell

10. Sergio Perez

Fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to react to the drivers' rankings released by F1. One user pointed out Lewis Hamilton's P5 ranking, saying:

"A lot of the team principles are salty that Lewis Hamilton was beating them for years."

---

Another user shared a similar belief, according to whom Lewis Hamilton deserved a higher rating than P5. The comment read:

"Russell top 10, you gotta be kidding me. Hamilton not p2."

However, some fans share different beliefs about the rankings. A third user wrote:

"Finally a real rating... And still is Lewis overrated."

Here are some more online reactions to the 2023 F1 drivers' ratings, according to the Team Principals:

---

Hungarian GP 2023 solidified Lewis Hamilton's belief for upcoming season

Whilst 2023 was largely disappointing for Hamilton and Mercedes, the 38-year-old driver is aiming to put it all behind him and focus on making a statement comeback next season.

Hamilton recently shared his optimism for the upcoming season, pinpointing a particular weekend in Hungary in 2023 that instilled confidence in him and the Mercedes camp. He said (via Fan Nation):

"I think Budapest was the best moment of the year, a circuit that I love, in which somehow, we were able to dethrone the Red Bulls at a specific moment."

The Brit secured pole position in the Hungary GP and went on to finish fourth behind Sergio Perez. According to Hamilton, the result in Budapest has filled Mercedes with confidence for the next season. He added:

"It gave us hope and the feeling that if we kept pushing, we would reach their level. When I drove the car for the first time in February, I never thought it was possible to achieve a pole."