McLaren's Oscar Piastri might have been named "Driver of the Day" in Formula 1's official vote after the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix, but who do you think was the best driver in the season opener?
The Australian finished second in his first race start of 2026, just behind new F1 championship leader Kimi Antonelli. Behind them, there were impressive scraps from the likes of Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton.
Vote for your favourite driver in the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix
And who do you think should be Driver of the Day? We invite you to vote in our poll:
Every F1 driver to claim "Driver of the Day" since 2016
| DRIVER | NUMBER OF AWARDS |
|---|---|
 Max Verstappen |
50 |
 Sebastian Vettel |
23 |
 Lewis Hamilton |
19 |
 Charles Leclerc |
19 |
| Lando Norris |
18 |
 Sergio Perez |
14 |
 Daniel Ricciardo |
11 |
 Carlos Sainz |
7 |
| Fernando Alonso |
7 |
 Valtteri Bottas |
6 |
|
|
6 |
|
|
5 |
 Pierre Gasly |
3 |
| Romain Grosjean |
3 |
 Alexander Albon |
3 |
| Nico Hulkenberg |
3 |
 Kimi Antonelli |
3 |
 Yuki Tsunoda |
2 |
 Gabriel Bortoleto |
2 |
| Oliver Bearman |
2 |
 Daniil Kvyat |
1 |
 Kevin Magnussen |
1 |
| Nico Rosberg |
1 |
 Lance Stroll |
1 |
| George Russell |
1 |
| Mick Schumacher |
1 |
| Nyck de Vries |
1 |
| Esteban Ocon |
1 |
 Zhou Guanyu |
1 |
| Isack Hadjar |
1 |
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
- The Motorsport.com Team
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Originally published by motorsport.com —
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