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During the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend, the F1 team principals of Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull, Renault and Force India chose their driver of the season. Unsurprisingly, the majority consensus was on newly-crowned champion Lewis Hamilton. However, only one team boss took the road less traveled.

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Renault team boss, Cyril Abiteboul said that for him, the Driver of the Season was Max Verstappen. The other four bosses concluded that Hamilton was the best. According to Force India boss Otmar Szafnauer, Lewis Hamilton had more competition in F1 as compared to 2016, when Rosberg won.

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Mercedes boss Toto Wolff admitted that it was difficult to say because for him, the standout driver would be the complete package. He also confessed that he had only been paying attention to his own drivers, Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas. But he also acknowledged that Hamilton had had a flawless season. Because of his focus on his own wards, he was in no position to judge other drivers.

Cyril Abiteboul believes that Verstappen was the best of the season, inspite of all his criticisms. He said, “I’m saying that I love it and I’m not saying that I hate it either.”

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Red Bull chief, Christian Horner also believes that Hamilton was the best driver by far.

Furthermore, Arrivabene said that if there was a prize for sportsmanship in terms of support, Silverstone would win. He continued, saying that even though they won in a country where Hamilton is the hands down favourite, the British crowd were quite sporting.

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Dhruv George

14,858 Articles

Dhruv George is EssentiallySports’ foremost authority on motorsport and a founding member of the outlet’s NASCAR desk. A Journalism graduate fluent in English and French, he brings over eight years of motorsports journalism experience covering everything from high-octane NASCAR battles to the finesse of Formula 1 and MotoGP. His extensive paddock access has earned him exclusive interviews with top names such as F1’s Pierre Gasly and Moto2’s Tony Arbolino, cementing his reputation as a trusted voice among racing fans. Known for his candid opinions, Dhruv isn’t afraid to tackle contentious officiating calls, most recently defending Joey Logano after the DYL penalty in Phoenix. Before focusing on NASCAR as a Senior Writer, Dhruv contributed extensively to EssentiallySports’ coverage of F1 and NASCAR, building a versatile and impactful sports portfolio.

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