This year, the commentator and analyst at Sky Sports F1, Martin Brundle, has made it clear on several occasions that he is not a fan of Max Verstappen. The man who used to race with Michael Schumacher has said that Verstappen is still the best driver, but Brundle thinks that Lando Norris will be remembered more for what he did in 2025.
Brundle on Norris: “Dominated in a way I have rarely seen.”
Verstappen admitted it in Abu Dhabi with a cheeky grin: he likes to play mind games with his opponents. Like, in Las Vegas, he played with Norris by leaving a big gap in the formation lap. Then Norris spun out in the first corner, which just made Verstappen even more sure that mind games work on the Brit. Verstappen then said that he would have been crowned champion much sooner in a McLaren.
Brundle reluctantly admits Verstappen is the best
When asked to name the best driver of 2025 at an event organised by Motorsportmagazine.com, Brundle… The former Formula 1 driver then reluctantly admitted, “That would have to be Max.”
Verstappen was not always the best car, but he did win the most Grands Prix, start in pole position the most times, and lead the most laps.
Nevertheless, Brundle swiftly redirected the emphasis back to his fellow countryman.
“Lando has done a great job,” the Sky Sports analyst immediately added. “He has become really strong mentally, and he drove fantastically. Some of the races he won, he dominated in a way that I have rarely seen in the more than 40 years I have been involved in Formula 1.”
“You have to admit that Max is still the best driver on the grid,” Brundle acknowledges.
“While Norris won only one race with a lead of more than ten seconds, Verstappen did so in Italy, Azerbaijan, Las Vegas, and the United Arab Emirates.”
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Norris provides British highlights
When Brundle is asked to name his favourite moment of 2025, he quickly returns to his compatriot. “What a season we’ve had. The first moment that immediately comes to mind is Lando winning the British Grand Prix,” says Brundle.
Norris’s triumph in his home nation was somewhat auspicious. A ten-second time penalty was controversially received by Oscar Piastri during a Safety Car restart, and Verstappen lost control of his car in a spin one corner later. Consequently, Norris did not cross the finish line in the foremost position, yet he was triumphant.
Brundle points out that all the title contenders would have been worthy champions.
“We saw some wonderful races, and a few huge twists and big surprises. In addition, three great drivers fought for the championship in the final race of the championship.”
“They would all have been worthy champions, but Lando kept his cool. There are too many moments to choose from. We have seen some truly extraordinary races.”
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Surer: Norris not on the same level as Verstappen and Hamilton?
At the other side of the punditary scale, we have former Formula 1 driver and long-time expert Marc Surer. For him, the 2025 season did not produce the best driver as world champion.
While Lando Norris deservedly secured his first Formula 1 title, Surer believes the McLaren driver does not yet operate on the same level as all-time greats such as Lewis Hamilton or current benchmark Max Verstappen.
Speaking in an exclusive video interview on the Formel1.de YouTube channel, Surer described Norris as a “model world champion” in terms of conduct and consistency, but made it clear that the championship outcome was heavily influenced by the competitive advantage of the McLaren MCL39.
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Advantage of the strongest car?
From a purely sporting perspective, Surer argues that McLaren provided the best overall package in 2025.
“He had the best car,” Surer said bluntly, stressing that the MCL39 offered a decisive edge over its rivals across the season.
However, Surer also welcomed the fact that McLaren did not dominate unchallenged internally. Oscar Piastri remained a genuine title contender until the season finale in Abu Dhabi, ensuring that Norris did not have an uninterrupted path to the championship.
“They took points away from each other,” Surer recalled, adding that without this internal rivalry, the title fight might have been “almost too easy”.
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Praise for Norris and Piastri, with clear limits
Despite his critical assessment, Surer was keen to emphasise that both McLaren drivers delivered a high standard throughout the year.
“Basically, I have to say, the two of them are good,” he said.
Yet, in Surer’s view, there remains a clear distinction between very good drivers and truly exceptional ones.
“They don’t have the level that a Vettel once had, that a Hamilton had, and that Max Verstappen has now,” he stated.
Importantly, Surer added that this should not be seen as a criticism. Reaching the level of those drivers, he argued, is something only a select few in Formula 1 history have managed.
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Verstappen stands apart from the field
Surer reserved his highest praise for Max Verstappen, whom he considers not just the best current driver on the grid, but potentially the greatest he has ever seen. In a striking comparison, the Swiss former driver placed Verstappen above Ayrton Senna in the all-time hierarchy.
“After Ayrton Senna, he is the best I have ever seen,” Surer said, before going even further: “I raced against Ayrton Senna, and I believe that Max takes it even further.”
According to Surer, Verstappen combines Senna’s raw talent and uncompromising racing mentality with a level of technical understanding and maturity that has developed significantly over time.
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From raw force to a complete driver
Reflecting on Verstappen’s early Formula 1 years, Surer noted that the Dutchman initially relied heavily on aggression and instinct.
“In the beginning, he was all about brute force,” he recalled. Since then, Verstappen has evolved into a far more complete driver.
“He has learned a lot,” Surer explained, pointing to Verstappen’s improved race management, consistency, and strategic awareness.
“He’s the best I’ve ever seen,” concluded Surer, who competed in Formula 1 between 1979 and 1986, and raced against Senna for more than two seasons following the Brazilian’s debut in 1984.
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Success backs up the assessment
Statistically, Verstappen has already surpassed Senna. While the Brazilian legend won three world championships, Verstappen claimed his fourth title in 2024. In 2025, he narrowly missed out on a fifth consecutive championship, losing the title by just two points.
For Surer, those numbers reinforce what he sees on track: Norris may be a worthy and popular world champion, but Verstappen remains the defining driver of this era, operating on a level few in Formula 1 history have ever reached.
NEXT ARTICLE: Dr Marko’s blatant lies, exposed
The clearcut of the nigh on twenty year senior management structure at Red Bull Racing was complete just days after the 2025 Formula One season finale in Abu Dhabi.
Dr. Helmut Marko revealed he was leaving his role as special advisor to the team and the head of the Red Bull junior driving academy with immediate effect.
Whilst the Austrian claimed he had jumped rather than been pushed, the hasty nature of his exit suggests otherwise to some F1 observers. Marko claimed he would have quit on a high note had Verstappen completed the most remarkable F1 comeback of all time.
Marko stabbed in the back
Yet despite admitting he felt something had been lost in Abu Dhabi, the former Red Bull advisor failed to give a reasoned explanation as to why he was leaving even though Max had failed in his pursuit of a record fifth consecutive F1 drivers championship.
When Christian Horner was exited from the team, he kept his counsel over many of the skeletons in the Red Bull closet. Newey too refused to do anything but be thankful for his time in Milton Keynes, but Dr. Marko chose to use his exit as the platform for a rant.
First up he criticised the Red Bull press release describing there sentiment he wished to leave on a high as “nonsense.” He went on to suggest he may have ultimately been stabbed in the back by those who used him to discredit Christian Horner.
“Let’s just say that a lot has changed at the team in a short period of time. You think you know people well, but in the end that turns out not to be the case… No, I really won’t say more,” he told Dutch publication De Limburger…READ MORE ON THIS ARTICLE
Clara Marlowe is a Formula 1 writer at TJ13 with over 15 years of experience in motorsport journalism, having contributed features to established sports magazines such as Evo, MCN, Wisden Cricket Monthly and other digital outlets.
Clara specialises in human-interest storytelling, focusing on the individuals behind the sport, including drivers, engineers, and team personnel whose roles are often overlooked in mainstream coverage.
At TJ13, Clara contributes long-form features and narrative-driven pieces that explore the personal and professional journeys within Formula 1. This includes coverage of career-defining moments, internal team dynamics, and the human impact of high-pressure competition.
Clara’s work brings depth and perspective to the sport, complementing news and analysis with stories that highlight the people behind the machinery.
Clara has a particular interest in how personal narratives intersect with performance, and how individual experiences shape outcomes across a Formula 1 season.
