There are numerous top 10 driver surveys conducted at the end of every season, but Autosport thought it would do something totally different this year - by getting the verdict of those whose opinions really matter: the Formula 1 team principals.
So, the moment the 10 chiefs touched down back at base following the Brazilian Grand Prix, they had waiting for them a request from Autosport for their own top drivers of the year.
The deal was simple: each individual team boss's ranking would be kept secret, and only the final collated results would be published here. Points were awarded on a 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis and anonymity was crucial if the team principals were to give their own honest appraisal, not only of the men they employ but the men they compete against every other weekend.