An introduction to F1 'Stars of Tomorrow'

Home » F1 Blog » January 15 2013 at 13:09 | posted by Paul Crossling | Comment with facebook

Which young drivers do you tip to make it to the big time?

It was back in the Formula One off-season of 2006, while writing for another F1 website that I was challenged to write the first ‘Stars of Tomorrow’.

The idea was the brainchild of an Australian reader, who did not have coverage of the top junior motorsport seasons that are very Eurocentric, and was finding that he was unaware of the pedigree of the rookie drivers that were coming into the sport.

And so the idea was born and the first list was written for 2007, and it has continued for six years since. As always with a list like this there are major successes and major failures – with so few seats available in Formula One race teams and me naming ten drivers a year means that many of them are never going to make it.

The criteria was selection is that the driver must be under the age of 24 on 1st January of the current year, so for selection on the 2013 list the cut-off date of birth is 1 January 1989, also they must not have started a race in either GP2 or been hired as an official test or reserve driver of a Formula One team.

The statistics are (in my opinion) impressive, in just six years my selections have a F1 pole position, over 300 total starts and 400 total points, with 488 race wins in junior categories around the world, resulting in thirty four junior championship victories.

Those Formula One figures are scored by nine different drivers who have started a race. This figure will rise to twelve when Esterban Gutierrez, Valterri Bottas and Max Chilton make their debuts for Sauber, Williams and Marussia debut next season. There have also been a further six drivers employed as official test and reserve drivers, but have never progressed to a race seat..

Of these twelve race drivers, ten of them will be on the grid next year, making one almost half of the drivers (10/24) on the grid in 2013, and even closer to half (10/22) if, as expected, the Hispania team closes.

Below is a list of all drivers who have featured over the years, and their performance.

2007

10. FELIPE ALBUQUERQUE
Race wins – 6 (World Series by Renault 1, A1GP 1, International Superstars 1, Italian GT3 3)
Championships – 1 (Race of Champions Champion of Champions 2010)
9. ALX DANIELSSON
Race Wins – 17 (Euroseries 3000 1, Scandinavian Carrera Cup 6, Scandinavian Ferrari Challenge 9 Swedish GT 1)
Championships – 1 (Scandinavian Ferrari Challenge 2009)
8. ROMAIN GROSJEAN
F1 Races - 26
Race Wins – 26 (GP2 14, Euroseries F3 6, Auto GP 4, GT1 World Championship 2)
Championships – 6 (Euroseries F3 2007, GP2 Asia 2008, Auto GP 2010, GP2 Asia 2011, GP2 2011, Race of Champions Champion of Champions 2012)
7. SEBASTIAN HOHENTHAL
Race Wins – 2 (British F3 2)
Championships – 0
6. MARO ENGEL
Race Wins – 4 (British F3 3, Australian GT 1)
Championships – 0
5. MARCUS ERICSSON
Race Wins – 16 (GP2 2, British F3 2, Japanese F3 5, Formula BMW UK 7)
Championships – 2 (Formula BMW UK 2007, Japanese F3 2009)
4. SEBASTIEN BUEMI
F1 Races - 55
Race Wins – 6 (GP2 3, German F3 3)
Championships – 0
3. MARKO ASMER
Race Wins – 12 (British F3 11, Austrian Formula Renault Cup 1)
Championships – 1 (British F3 2007)
2. OLIVER JARVIS
Race Wins – 7 (A1GP 2, Japanese F3 3, Japanese Super GT 1, Macau Grand Prix 1)
Championships – 0
1. NICO HULKENBERG
F1 Races – 39 (1 pole position)
Race Wins – 27 (GP2 6, A1GP 9, Euroseries F3 11, Masters of F3 1)
Championships – 3 (A1GP 2007, Euroseries F3 2008, GP2 2009)

2008

10. CHARLES PIC
F1 Races - 20
Race Wins – 8 (GP2 4, World Series by Renault 4)
Championships – 0
9. JULES BIANCHI
Race Wins – 19 (GP2 2, World Series by Renault 3, Euroseries F3 11, British F3 2, Masters of F3 1)
Championships – 1 (Euroseries F3 2009)
8. EDUARDO MORTARA
Race Wins – 16 (GP2 1, Euroseroes F3 8, DTM 2, Macau Grand Prix 2, Macau GT Cup 2, 6 Hours of Zhuhai 1)
Championships – 1 (Euroseries F3 2010)
7. SAM BIRD
Race Wins – 3 (GP2 1, World Series by Renault 1)
Championships – 0
6. ATTE MUSTONEN
Race Wins – 1 (British F3 1)
Championships – 0
5. BRENDON HARTLEY
Race Wins – 6 (Euroseries F3 1, British F3 5)
Championships – 0
4. CHRISTIAN VIETORIS
Race Wins – 10 (GP2 4, A1GP 1, Euroseries F3 5)
Championships – 0
3. JOSEF KRAL
Race Wins – 4 (GP2 1, Formula Master 3)
Championships – 0
2. ROBERT WICKENS
Race Wins – 13 (World Series by Renault 6, A1GP 1, Formula 2 2, GP3 3 F3 Euroseries 1),
Championships – 1 (World Series by Renault 2011)
1. SERGIO PEREZ
F1 Races – 37
Race Wins – 11 (GP2 7, British F3 4)
Championships – 0

2009

10. GABRIEL CHAVES
Race Wins – 9 (Formula BMW Americas 5, Star Mazda 2, West Coast Formula Challenge 2)
Championships – 1 (Formula BMW Americas 2009)
9. ALEXANDER SIMS
Race Wins – 7 (GP3 1, F3 Euroseries 3, British F3 3)
Championships – 0
8. VALTTERI BOTTAS
Race Wins – 9 (GP3 4, Euroseries F3 2, British F3 1, Masters of F3 2)
Championships – 1 (GP3 2011)
7. ALEXANDER ROSSI
Race Wins – 7 (World Series by Renault 2, GP3 2, Formula Master 3)
Championships – 0
6. OLIVER TURVEY
Race Wins – 2 (GP2 1, World Series by Renault 1)
Championships – 0
5. MAX CHILTON
Race Wins – 4 (GP2 2, British F3 2)
Championships – 0
4. MIKA MAKI
Race Wins – 1 (Euroseries F3 1)
Championships – 0
3. JAMIE ALGUERSUARI
F1 Races – 46
Race Wins – 1 (World Series by Renault 1)
Championships – 0
2. ESTERBAN GUTIERREZ
Race Wins – 9 (GP2 4, GP3 5)
Championships – 1 (GP3 2010)
1. PAUL DI RESTA
F1 Races – 39
Race Wins – 4 (DTM 4)
Championships – 1 (DTM 2010)

2010

10 JESSIE KROHN
Race Wins – 11 (Italian F3 1, Formula Renault NEC 2, Camero Cup Finland 8)
Championships – 1 (Camero Cup Finland 2011)
9. JEAN ERIC VERGNE
F1 Races – 20
Race Wins – 18 (World Series by Renault 5, British F3 13)
Championships – 1 (British F3 2010)
8. JACK HARVEY
Race Wins – 15 (British F3 8, Formula BMW Europe 7)
Championships – 1 (British F3 2012)
7. LAURENS VANTHOOR
Race Wins – 3 (GT1 World Championship 3)
Championships – 0
6. LUIZ FELIPE NASR
Race Wins – 8 (British F3 8)
Championships – 1 (British F3 2011)
5. DANIEL JUNCADELLA
Race Wins – 15 (Euroseries F3 12, British F3 1, Macau Grand Prix 1, Master of F3 1)
Championships – 1 (F3 Euroseries 2012)
4. DANIEL RICCIARDO
F1 Races – 31
Race Wins – 6 (World Series by Renault 6)
Championships – 0
3. KEVIN MAGNUSSEN
Race Wins – 12 (World Series by Renault 1, Euroseries F3 1, British F3 7, German F3 3)
Championships – 0
2. ANTONIO FELIX DA COSTA
Race Wins – 14 (World Series by Renault 4, GP3 4, Euroseries F3 3, F3 Cup 2, Macau Grand Prix 1
Championships – 0
1. ALBERT COSTA
Race Wins – 8 (World Series by Renault 1, Megane Trophy Eurocup 7)
Championships – 1 (Megane Trophy Eurocup 2012)

2011

10. NYCK DE VRIES
Race Wins – 1 (Formula Renault NEC 1)
Championships – 0
9. RICHIE STANAWAY
Race Wins – 14 (GP3 1, German F3 13)
Championships – 1 (German F3 2011)
8. CONOR DALY
Race Wins – 3 (GP3 1, Formula 2000 1, Indy Lights 1)
Championships – 0
7. MITCHELL EVANS
Race Wins – 13 (GP3 4, New Zealand Toyota Racing Series 9)
Championships – 2 (New Zealand Toyota Racing Series 2011, GP3 2012)
6. YUJI KUNIMOTO
Race Wins – 0
Championships – 0
5. ROBIN FRIJNS
Race Wins – 9 (World Series by Renault 3, Formula Renault Euroseries 5, Formula Renault NEC 1)
Championships – 2 (Formula Renault Euroseries 2010, World Series by Renault 2011)
4. CARLOS SAINZ JUNIOR
Race Wins – 17 (British F3 5, Formula Renault Eurocup 2, Formula Renault NEC 10)
Championships – 1 (Formula Renault NEC 2011)
3. DANIIL KVYAT
Race Wins – 24 (Formula Renault Eurocup 9, Formula Renault NEC 7, Formula Renault ALPS 7, New Zealand Toyota Racing Series 1)
Championships – 1 (Formula Renault ALPS 2012)
2. KEVIN KORJUS
Race Wins – 3 (World Series by Renault 3)
Championships – 0
1. TOM BLOMQVIST
Race Wins – 6 (German F3 6)
Championships – 0

2012

10. JAKE DENNIS
Race Wins – 3 (Formula Renault NEC 3)
Championships – 0
9. STEFAN WACKERBAUER
Race Wins – 0
Championships – 0
8. RAMON PINERIO
Race Wins – 0
Championships – 0
7. STOFFEL VANDOORNE
Race Wins – 9 (Formula Renault Eurocup 4, Formula Renault NEC 5)
Championships – 1 (Formula Renault Euroseries 2012)
6. TIMMY HANSEN
Race Wins – 0
Championships – 0
5. PIETRO FANTIN
Race Wins – 1 (British F3 1)
Championships – 0
4. OLIVER ROWLAND
Race Wins – 1 (Formula Renault Euroseries 1)
Championships – 0
3. FELIX ROSENQUVIST
Race Wins – 4 (Euroseries F3 4)
Championships – 0
2. ALEX LYNN
Race Wins – 3 (British F3 1, F3 Cup 2)
Championships – 0
1. ROBERTO MEHRI
Race Wins – 0
Championships – 0