Lewis Hamilton was the only driver to abstain from the vote as Max Verstappen was named Driver of the Year by his peers. And Verstappen’s fellow drivers clearly felt that despite his constructor’s dominance, he was the best performer over the season – with his fierce Mercedes rival Hamilton the only driver not to participate in the award. Team-mates Hamilton, who finished sixth in the 2022 World Drivers’ Championship standings, and George Russell, who finished fourth, were named joint third by their colleagues. Like in previous years, drivers are surprisingly allowed to vote for themselves – although not all of them did so – and submitted their rankings on the condition their choices would be kept secret. Title rivals Hamilton and Verstappen have endured a testy relationship for several years.

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