The Driver of the Day award was first introduced all the way back in 2016 and is awarded to the driver with the highest percentage of fan votes after each race.
Not only did Max Verstappen hoover up a whopping 15 victories during the F1 2022 season but he also collected the most Driver of the Day awards with five to his name for his performances at Imola, Miami, Hungary, Spa and his beloved Zandvoort.
Click here for the full list of F1 2022 Driver of the Day winners and scroll down for the F1 2023 results.
F1 Driver of the Day: Bahrain Grand Prix
Fernando Alonso
Max Verstappen may have cruised to victory in the opening race of the season but it was Fernando Alonso who stole the show with his 99th career podium and only his second since Hungary in 2014!
His run was helped by the unfortunate retirement of Charles Leclerc but stunning overtakes on Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz in areas where passes don’t usually take place ensured he left a strong lasting impression on those voting for Driver of the Day.
Alonso was the clear runaway winner in the poll, but there was also some love shown to Pierre Gasly as he raced from P20 to P9 and to Lewis Hamilton as he battled to P5 in a W14 that is way off the pace compared to the likes of Red Bull and Ferrari.
Fernando Alonso – 53.3%
Pierre Gasly – 6.5%
Max Verstappen – 6.3%
Lewis Hamilton – 5.5%
Charles Leclerc – 4.4%
F1 Driver of the Day: Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Max Verstappen
After looking in dominant form in practice, a driveshaft problem for Max Verstappen in qualifying forced him out in Q2 before he could set a representative lap time, leaving him down in P15 on the grid.
His recovery through the field was steady to begin with, but the Safety Car coming out for the stricken Aston Martin for Lance Stroll saw the Red Bull driver take advantage in the pit stop window and leave him a net fourth after the stops were complete. He then leapfrogged his way onto the podium and took a well-earned P2 finish behind Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez, who finished second in the vote.
Max Verstappen – 26.3%
Sergio Perez – 19.8%
Fernando Alonso – 14.6%
Charles Leclerc – 7.2%
Lewis Hamilton- 6.7%
F1 Driver of the Day: Australian Grand Prix
Sergio Perez
A chaotic race in Melbourne was tamed by Sergio Perez who put a poor Saturday performance behind him to rise from the back of the grid to P5.
Before the dramatic end arrived, Perez made neat work of cutting through the grid, combing the speed of the RB19 with an aggressive overtaking style.
After the multiple restarts, Perez continued to move up the field and following Carlos Sainz’s late penalty, the Mexican earned P5 to ensure he remains second in the Drivers’ Championship.
Sergio Perez – 21.3%
Lewis Hamilton – 14.3%
Pierre Gasly – 10.3%
Lando Norris – 9.6%
Carlos Sainz – 9%
F1 Driver of the Day: Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Sergio Perez
Strike up another for Perez, who picked up his second Driver of the Day award in F1 2023 after his impressive drive to victory in Baku.
While the timing of the Safety Car did give him that vital helping hand in jumping team-mate Max Verstappen, he had nonetheless been pushing his team-mate hard before that stroke of luck, and after the restart Verstappen had no answer to the pace of his team-mate.
Perez’s sublime performance then allowed him to narrow the gap to Verstappen at the top of the Drivers’ standings to six points.
Sergio Perez – 29.1%
Fernando Alonso – 14.3%
Charles Leclerc – 11.4%
Lewis Hamilton – 9.1%
Max Verstappen – 6.6%
F1 Driver of the Day: Miami Grand Prix
Max Verstappen
Verstappen would pick up his second Driver of the Day award in F1 2023 at the Miami International Autodrome, a fitting achievement after a sensational drive.
Starting from P9 after Charles Leclerc’s qualifying crash had ended Q3 early, Verstappen used the alternate strategy of starting on the hard tyres and switching to mediums to devastating effect, much to the surprise of his Red Bull team.
After making his pit stop, Verstappen quickly latched onto team-mate Sergio Perez’s gearbox, passing the Mexican racer who had started from pole and going on to secure a very impressive victory.
Max Verstappen – 27.1%
Sergio Perez – 12.5%
Fernando Alonso – 9.8%
Lewis Hamilton – 8.6%
George Russell – 7.9%
F1 Driver of the Day: Monaco Grand Prix
Esteban Ocon
After a superb qualifying session that saw him eventually start third on the grid after Charles Leclerc’s penalty, Esteban Ocon put in a sterling drive in changing conditions to take his and Alpine’s first podium of the season around Monaco.
Even though former team-mate Fernando Alonso scored his best result of the year in finishing second behind Max Verstappen, Ocon narrowly won the fan-voted award for the Monaco Grand Prix after becoming the first Frenchman to appear on the podium in Monte Carlo since Olivier Panis when he won the race back in 1996.
Esteban Ocon – 23.5%
Fernando Alonso – 22.6%
Max Verstappen – 16.5%
Lewis Hamilton – 7.5%
Charles Leclerc – 6.2%
F1 Driver of the Day: Spanish Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton
Hamilton would pick up his first Driver of the Day award for 2023 after a sterling drive to second place in the Spanish Grand Prix in early June.
Having started fourth, the Mercedes driver survived early contact with Lando Norris and later passed Carlos Sainz to move his way up to P2 behind Max Verstappen in a much-improved performance from Mercedes around Barcelona.
Perhaps they were early signs that the team’s long-planned upgrades had the desired effect, but Hamilton headed a double podium for the Silver Arrows in an impressive performance, with George Russell rising from P12 to P3 during the race.
Lewis Hamilton – 24.7%
Sergio Perez – 19.2%
George Russell – 11.3%
Max Verstappen – 10.6%
Fernando Alonso – 5.4%
F1 Driver of the Day: Canadian Grand Prix
Alexander Albon
Alex Albon’s talents behind the wheel of the Williams aren’t always appreciated but that wasn’t the case at the Canadian Grand Prix as he clinched the Driver of the Day award at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
It was a typically feisty performance from the former Red Bull recruit, battling every lap to keep better cars behind him and cling on to P7 in the final standings, giving Williams precious points in their long pursuit of climbing their way up the F1 mountain again.
Alexander Albon – 28.7%
Lewis Hamilton – 16.4%
Fernando Alonso – 16.3%
Max Verstappen – 7.4%
Charles Leclerc – 7.3%
F1 Driver of the Day: Austrian Grand Prix
Lando Norris
Lando Norris was armed with the upgraded McLaren MCL60 in Austria, fast-tracked for the event, and he used the changes to full, devastating effect by scoring a P5 finish at the Red Bull Ring, the day after his sprint hopes from P3 on the grid were dashed by anti-stall issues.
Having pressured and passed Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, before keeping Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz honest after Sainz undid the damage of a five-second time penalty and questionable Ferrari pit strategy, Norris will be hoping for even better next time out at his home race when McLaren bring a further refined version of this upgrade package to Silverstone.
Lando Norris – 26.1%
Carlos Sainz – 22.4%
Sergio Perez – 21.8%
Charles Leclerc – 7.6%
Max Verstappen – 6.5%
F1 Driver of the Day: British Grand Prix
Lando Norris
It may have been another dominant display for Max Verstappen to give Red Bull their first win at Silverstone since 2012, but the undoubted star of the show was home favourite Lando Norris.
After an incredible qualifying session on Saturday, Norris battled hard to keep hold of his P2 spot on Sunday to join Verstappen and fellow Brit Lewis Hamilton on the podium.
Norris also sent the fans wild by briefly leading the British Grand Prix after getting the jump on Verstappen in the opening stages.
Norris’ popularity continues to rise, with this being the second Driver of the Day award he has won in as many races.
Lando Norris – 45.5%
Lewis Hamilton – 12.1%
Oscar Piastri – 10.8%
Sergio Perez – 8.1%
Max Verstappen – 5.1%
F1 Driver of the Day: Hungarian Grand Prix
Sergio Perez
Verstappen was the unstoppable force again in Hungary, but it was his Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez who claimed the Driver of the Day award at the Hungaroring.
Starting from P9, Perez was on a mission with a point to prove, considering the rumours of his impending Red Bull demise are swirling in what has been a woeful run of form.
Perez though gave himself a timely confidence boost with a drive to the podium places as he secured a P3 finish, plus the Driver of the Day award by the narrowest of margins.
Sergio Perez – 20.7%
Lando Norris – 20.4%
Oscar Piastri – 13.7%
George Russell – 8.4%
Max Verstappen – 7.6%
F1 Driver of the Day: Belgian Grand Prix
Max Verstappen
Having pulled off another Spa-Francorchamps masterclass, Verstappen duly deserved to bag the Driver of the Day award at Spa.
From P6 on the grid, Verstappen was in the lead by Lap 17 after a pass on team-mate Perez, going on to win the race by a margin of 22.3 seconds.
While the competition was far from close on the track, Verstappen did though face stern competition in this Driver of the Day battle against Ferrari’s P3 finisher Charles Leclerc.
Max Verstappen – 15.5%
Charles Leclerc – 14.8%
Yuki Tsunoda – 14.6%
Lando Norris – 8%
Sergio Perez – 7.3%
F1 Driver of the day: Dutch Grand Prix
Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso drove like a man possessed at the Dutch Grand Prix and a P2 finish behind Max Verstappen was acknowledged by the voting F1 public after a chaotic race at Zandvoort.
Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly also caught the eye but didn’t do enough within the eyes of the F1 community to knock Alonso off top spot.
Fernando Alonso – 20.9%
Alex Albon – 14%
Max Verstappen – 10.9%
Pierre Gasly – 9.1%
Lewis Hamilton – 9%
F1 Driver of the day: Italian Grand Prix
Carlos Sainz
As Max Verstappen broke the record for the most consecutive race wins in F1 history (a whopping 10 in total!), it was Carlos Sainz who wowed the fans with a stunning defensive display. After bagging pole position, he kept Verstappen at bay for 15 laps with some excellent moves.
He then managed to keep hold of a very well-deserved podium spot after a real ding-dong battle with his team-mate Charles Leclerc.
Sergio Perez’s rise to P2 saw him get a decent chunk of vote, but Sainz the clear winner.
Carlos Sainz – 31.5%
Sergio Perez – 14.8%
Max Verstappen – 13.3%
Alex Albon – 10.7%
Charles Leclerc – 6%
F1 Driver of the Day: Singapore Grand Prix
Carlos Sainz
Picking up from where he left off in Monza, Sainz once again won the fan-voted Driver of the Day award – but this time, he took the race victory with a masterful, controlled drive around the streets of Singapore.
The Ferrari driver led from start to finish, holding off the charging Mercedes duo in the final stint and McLaren’s Lando Norris behind, who finished third in the vote for Singapore.
AlphaTauri’s Liam Lawson was a well-deserved second place in the vote after scoring points in only his third F1 start.
Carlos Sainz – 21.2%
Liam Lawson – 14.4%
Lando Norris – 13.6%
George Russell – 9.8%
Max Verstappen – 7.6%
F1 Driver of the Day: Japanese Grand Prix
Oscar Piastri
After taking his first ever podium finish in Formula 1, Oscar Piastri earned the Driver of the Day award with a huge 28.3% of fan votes from Suzuka.
The result was even more impressive given that he had never raced around Suzuka before the weekend, and while he finished behind team-mate Lando Norris – who took second place in the vote – it was a measured drive from the F1 rookie.
Oscar Piastri – 28.2%
Lando Norris – 15.8%
Max Verstappen – 14.4%
Charles Leclerc – 7.5%
Lewis Hamilton – 6.8%
F1 Driver of the Day: Qatar Grand Prix
Oscar Piastri
After a sterling drive to Sprint pole and victory, some controlled driving at the start of the main race saw Oscar Piastri up from sixth to second in the Qatar Grand Prix.
He stayed there throughout the race too, taking the fight to Max Verstappen and keeping him in check throughout what he described as the toughest race of his career, with good reason.
With two podiums in the same weekend, Piastri was voted Driver of the Day for a second weekend in a row as McLaren topped off a huge points haul in Lusail.
Oscar Piastri – 27.9%
George Russell – 17.3%
Lando Norris – 16.4%
Max Verstappen – 11.4%
Charles Leclerc – 4.6%
F1 Driver of the Day: United States Grand Prix
Lando Norris
Having led the opening stages of the race at the Circuit of The Americas, Norris was not able to fend off the challenges of Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, but he was the winner in the Driver of the Day category.
It was a close one though, with Hamilton coming close to snatching this particular win from his compatriot.
Lando Norris – 26%
Lewis Hamilton – 23.3%
Max Verstappen – 14.4%
Sergio Perez – 7.5%
Fernando Alonso – 6.8%
F1 Driver of the Day: Mexican Grand Prix
Lando Norris
Norris once more was crowned Driver of the Day in Mexico, and it was hard to argue.
Starting a disappointing P17 after a shock Q1 exit, Norris was a driver on a mission as he bulldozed his way to a P5 finish, crossing the line three places up the road from McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri.
Lando Norris – 29.5%
Daniel Ricciardo – 21.6%
Lewis Hamilton – 12.2%
Sergio Perez – 8.3%
Max Verstappen – 7.5%
F1 Driver of the Day: Brazilian Grand Prix
Lando Norris
That’s a hat-trick of Driver of the Day awards for Norris, who scooped the prize once more with his drive to P2 at Interlagos.
While he could not find an answer for Max Verstappen, Norris won the fans over with a sublime performance which saw him finish 26 seconds up the road from Fernando Alonso who completed the podium, and ran Norris very close in this Driver of the Day vote.
Lando Norris – 26.1%
Fernando Alonso – 24.7%
Sergio Perez – 15.8%
Max Verstappen – 6%
Yuki Tsunoda – 4%
F1 Driver of the Day: Las Vegas Grand Prix
Charles Leclerc
He was desperate to take victory around Las Vegas after taking pole, and retaking the lead from Max Verstappen with a bold move into Turn 14 mid-race.
A second Safety Car enabled both Red Bull drivers to pit for fresher tyres, but that did not stop Leclerc from keeping within the DRS zone of Sergio Perez until the final lap and passing him at the final opportunity in the race – and he edged Perez to win the vote in Vegas.
Charles Leclerc – 21.6%
Sergio Perez – 19.1%
Oscar Piastri – 13.4%
Max Verstappen – 13%
Lewis Hamilton – 6.2%
F1 Driver of the Day: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Yuki Tsunoda
AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda finished the season strongly with a superb qualifying display backed up by a few more points to his F1 2023 tally to close out a respectable third year in the sport.
Yuki Tsunoda – 24%
Charles Leclerc – 14.3%
Sergio Perez – 11.3%
Lando Norris – 9.7%
Max Verstappen – 9%
