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Winner: Michаel Novikov (5^th)
Finishing 5th in the fifth-best car would already be an impressive achievement for any driver in their prime. However, when you consider this was achieved by a 39-year-old veteran, it makes it even more remarkable.
On top of that, Novikov stood out as one of the rare drivers able to interrupt the Red Bull–Porsche dominance, taking three victories across the season. To put that into perspective, Senna had managed just six wins across 55 seasons prior to this year.
That combination of consistency, race-winning ability, and age-defying performance is exactly why Novikov is the biggest winner of Season 65.

Disappointment: Luka Zakrajšek (4^th)
Coming into the season, expectations for Luka were understandably extremely high. In his previous five Formula 1 seasons, he finished 2nd, 3rd, 1st, 3rd, and 3rd respectively — a run that made anything outside the title fight feel like a step back. While 4th is far from a collapse, it can still be considered slightly disappointing in that context.
The bigger story, however, unfolded inside the garage. An 87-point gap to his teammate, combined with his overall underperformance, ultimately cost Porsche the Constructors’ Championship.
For that reason, Zakrajšek ends Season 65 as one of its more notable disappointments.

Winner: Andrej Vidmar (1^st)
When you win the Formula 1 title, you have to be included among the winners. What defined Vidmar’s season was not flashes of dominance or peak performance, but the complete absence of bad days. While other drivers had higher highs, his strength was delivering a consistently strong level across the entire season without significant drop-offs. This translated into a season where he finished all 24 races in the points, with 22 top-5 finishes and 18 podiums, wrapping up the title with one race to go.

Disappointment: Robert Kubica IV (9^th)
If you view his performance in isolation, Robert did a respectable job in his rookie season, finishing 9th in the fifth-best car. Under normal circumstances, that would be considered a solid season and a decent return for both the driver and the team.
However, the picture changes significantly in comparison to his teammate. Novikov scored 217 points over the season, while Robert finished on 108, the largest intra-team gap on the grid in both absolute and relative terms among drivers scoring at least 6 points.
That underperformance relative to his teammate is what defined his season, placing him among the disappointments of Season 65.

Winner: Escudería Pegaso (3^rd)
Their ability to attract drivers who are better than the level of the car itself is a major reason why they consistently outperform teams with objectively faster machinery. This season was no exception. After finishing 4th in the Constructors’ Championship in each of the previous two seasons, they finally managed to break onto the podium with an impressive 3rd-place finish.
You also cannot fault the performances of either of their drivers, both of whom delivered strong and consistent seasons. Taking all of that into account, Escudería Pegaso fully deserves to be considered one of the biggest winners of Season 65.

Disappointment: Bernardo Reckziegell (10^th)
Reckziegell’s season began on a promising note. In the opening stages, he was even outperforming his teammate, scoring 36 points in the first six races compared to Starostachev II’s 19. For a brief period, it looked like he might control the internal battle within the team.
However, then the momentum gradually shifted and by round 10 Starostachev II took control of the head-to-head battle, leading 61–56 at that stage. From there, the gap steadily widened as the season progressed.
Over the final 14 races, Reckziegell managed just 27 points, while his teammate added 124. The season ultimately closed with a 185–83 points gap, the second-largest intra-team difference in both absolute and percentage terms among drivers scoring at least 6 points.
There were a couple of setbacks along the way, including two retirements, both caused by collisions with Remco Raveel. However, even without those incidents, the overall outcome would have looked largely unchanged.
For a veteran driver, you would normally expect qualifying pace to be the main weakness due to the natural loss of outright speed with age. However, his average starting position of 7.5 suggests that qualifying was not the main issue. To put that into perspective, Novikov’s average starting position was only marginally better at 7.3. Instead, Reckziegell consistently failed to convert strong grid positions into equally strong race results and that inconsistency ultimately defined his season.

Winner: Remco Raveel (6^th)
Remco is among the strongest drivers currently in Formula 1, and in a top car he would likely be a genuine title contender. Even in midfield machinery, he consistently delivers results above expectations.
In Formula 1, drivers are always judged first and foremost against their teammate. And when that teammate is Milodziad Dobrychlop, you are facing one of the toughest comparisons on the grid. Last season, Dobrychlop had the upper hand, but this year Remco managed to come out ahead after a very closely fought battle.
Alongside Novikov, Remco was also one of the very few drivers capable of interrupting the Red Bull–Porsche dominance. Both he and Novikov scored five podium finishes during the season, while the rest of the field combined managed only two.
Considering the level of competition, the limitations of the car, and the strength of his teammate, Remco fully deserves to be included among the biggest winners of Season 65.

Disappointment: Jordan (8^th)
Jordan did a great job developing their car. For a team that has spent most of the last two decades outside the top 10, building the sixth-fastest car was a major step forward. The project was slightly undermined by developing a car with a handling focus, but an even bigger issue was the inability to attract stronger drivers.
Romadov was once a decent and reliable driver, but at 40 he was no longer capable of extracting the maximum from the car. Considering all of that, his 5 points were actually not a bad return. On the other hand, Majo Michalovič failed to score a single point, which is not particularly surprising given his age and the fact that, prior to the last two seasons, he had spent his entire career competing on two wheels.
The reason I consider Jordan to be one of the biggest disappointments of the season is not because I expected them to achieve significantly better results, but because building a genuinely competitive car means very little if you do not have drivers capable of maximizing its potential.