Your seasons top 10

[Mr V]

Ok, ok, i know the seasons not over quite yet, but i thought i'd be the one to start the thread. (always gives us something to talk about in the dreaded off season )

Heres mine....

=1. Michael Schumacher

Has driven brilliantly and also been made to look very "un Michael like" by his team mate at the same time all in one season, which is very unlike him. Started off badly by his standards, it came back to him, he seemed to lose it again then came good at the end. Best race for him proberbly at Imola, racing after the sad passing of his mother and won Canada when he really shouldn't have. For the first time ever, looked uncomfortable in the car in Maylasia.

=1. Juan Pablo Montoya

Proberbly the most consistant driver of the season, especially from Monaco onwards. Still makes too many silly spins, Australia and Canada proberbly cost him race wins. Seems to make more mistakes when the pressures off though! Produced the overtake of the season on Michael at Nurburgring and the most dominant win of the season at Hockenheim - on only 90% power. I want him to stay at Williams but the prospect of him and Kimi in the same team is one to relish!

3. Kimi Raikkonen

Driven beautifully for most of the season, but made silly mistakes in qualifying that has cost him dear! Totally out-performed his team-mate and very unlucky at Australia and Nurburgring

4. Fernando Alonso

What a mega star and has proved that Flavio made the right and also wrong decision to replace Jenson. Right because Fernando must be in F1, but wrong because he should have replaced Trulli! 2 poles and a win in his first season with a proper team (no disrespect Minardi) shows his worth. Rubens should be ashamed that Fernando's equalling him for 5th place in the WDC

5. Mark Webber

A brilliant season for the Aussie. Has definatly up'd his game since being in F1 and would thoroughly deserve a place in one of the top 4 teams - maybe replacing Trulli, that would be an awesome line up!

6. Jenson Button

Will JV keep his word and retire as he said he would if Jenson beats him in the WDC? A few bad qualifying performances have spoiled an otherwise good season, but has raced well, especially when he started from the back! For the second time in his career, mechanical failure ruined his chances of a podium at Indy (first time in Maylasia '02). Has the honour of being the first BAR driver to lead a race.

7. Ralf Schumacher

Mighty impressive during the middle part of the season, but started off in what seem to be "cruise and collect" mode and has tailed off towards the end of the season. His accident at Monza obviously didn't help!

8. Justin Wilson

Maybe not for his performances in the Jaguar, although he's had awful reliability in that car and thoroughly deserved his point, but at the beginning of the season, got very close to his experienced team-mate and sometimes got upto a points scoring position in a Minardi! (then the car usually broke!)

9. Rubens Barrichello

Not the best season of Rubens career and there is not way he should be battling with Fernando in a Renault for 5th given his machinary! Out performed Michael on occasion and his win at Silverstone was possibly the best of the season.

10. Marc Gene

Although only driving in one race, got the job done and even lead a lap! Finished in a position that the team would have been very happy with.

[TeddyG]

proberbly = Probably

[Jordi]

1. Fernando Alonso - will retire Michael
2. Michael Schumacher - the bloody mate seems to have it wrapped up after a nice fight.
3. Juan Pablo Montoya - quick and consistent, but those spins...
4. Kimi Raikkonen - well done, unimpressive though, costly mistakes
5. Rubens Barrichello - has been very unlucky
6. Mark Webber - notable pace and qualifying
7. Olivier Panis - Really unlucky, but still has the speed
8. Jacques Villeneuve - When the car didn't break, he used to score.
9. Jenson Button - A bit luckier than the one above
10. Giancarlo Fisichella - only for Brazil...

[jetsetter]

1. K. Raikkonen - great job to take the title to Suzuka considering he is still waiting for the new car.
2. F. Alonso - This year has proved he is a star in the making.
3. M. Webber - Like Alonso he appears to have some great years in front of him.
4. M. Schumacher - While appeared to be down on form & motivation at times this year he still managed his 6th WDC.
5. J. Montoya - Was in the championship until Indy, he'll no doubt look back at 2003 with regret as their were a few blown chances which cost him badly.
6. R. Barrichello - While he outshone his teammate at certain events he just couldn't maintain consistency.
7. J. Button - He came in to 2003 under pressure from his more illustrious teammate & outshone him on quite a few occasions.
8. R. Schumacher - Like Barrichello he scored some impressive results but lacked consistency.
9. J. Trulli - Another driver that has managed some good results but has struggled at other times.
10. D. Coulthard - Struggled badly compared to his teammate but has also produced a couple of good races.

[mac]

1. Michael Schumacher
2. Kimi Raikkonen
3. Juan Pablo Montoya
4. Fernando Alonso
5. Mark Webber
6. Ralf Schumacher
7. Rubens Barrichello
8. Giancarlo Fisichella
9. Jenson Button
10. Jarno Trulli

[Gt_R]

1)Michael Schumacher
- No doubt about that, when critics thought he has lost it and had retreated to "retirement" mode, he performed 2 great back to back victories to bring his race win telly 3 times more than the next best winner. Though he had dips in forms (rare), and that he had some poor results in qual/race, he shows that he's still by far the man to beat.

=2 Juan Pablo Montoya
great guy, gutsy. Had shown that he had matured over the season, having nicely polished his raw speed and talent with a touch of analytical thinking. Still makes a couple of mistakes at critical times though, but getting better all the time. Finally had one of, if not THE, best package of the grid, to show his stuff.

=2 Kimi Raikkonen
Really young, but drives like he's been in F1 for ages. Despite having a year-old car, he had brought the fight down to the wire with the 2 big boys, utterly beating his experienced DC into the weeds. Cool and calm, though tends to make mistakes in races, had shown great improvement. Definite WDC quality. Pole and 2nd in USGP shows alot about this Finn.

4)Alonso

5)Rubens

6)Webber

7)Ralf

8)Button

9)Panis

10)Trulli

[ElScOrChO]

1- Michael Schumacher
2- Juan Pablo Montoya
3- Fernando Alonso
4- Kimi Raikkonen
5- Mark Webber
6- Ralf Schumacher
7- Jenson Button
8- Rubens Barrichello
9- Jarno Trulli
10- Olivier Panis

[ringo]

1= Fernando Alonso
1= Michael Schumacher (still the best)

3- Kimi Raikkonen (hammered DC)
4- Juan Pablo Montoya (lost his head a few times)
5- Mark Webber (great job)
6- Jenson Button (great job)
7- Ralf Schumacher (great now and then)
8- Da matta (very solid)
9- Jarno Trulli (did well)
10-Olivier Panis (did well)

[x_dt]

1) Fernando Alonso. Revelation in only his 2nd full F1 season and at such a young age as well.

2) Michael Schumacher. Ultimately, all things being considered, he has won far more races than anyone else and has made very few mistakes - Brazil being an exception.

3) Kimi Raikkonen. Has kept well in contention in a heavily modified version of last year's car though has made some costly errors in qualifying in particular.

4) Juan-Pablo Montoya. Excellent turn of speed though has made some big mistakes and thrown away at least one victory.

5) Mark Webber. Often best of the rest in the hitherto underperforming Jaguar.

6) Ralf Schumacher. Some excellent races and often capable of matching/beating Montoya.

7) Rubens Barrichello

8) Jenson Button. First team-mate Jacques Villeneuve has had in F1 that has consistently outperformed him.

9) David Coulthard. Front runner prior to the start of the European season but its not gone well since (except Hockenheim).

10) Cristiano da Matta. In his first season in F1 having raced in different cars on different tracks in previous years, he has often mathced (at least) the experienced Olivier Panis.

[esorniloc]

1 JP Montoya
2 M Schumacher
3 F Alonso
4 K Raikkonen
5 M Webber
6 R Schumacher
7 O Panis
8 R Barrichello
9 C da Matta
10 D Coulthard

[Peter Mallett]

The problem with this season is that we’ve seen some very good performances from more drivers than usual (IMO) so the criteria for selection is that much more difficult. Button has outshone JV so he’d have to go into a list and as there are only twenty teams it seems that we can only choose one driver from each because the ultimate choice must be based on team comparison. So trying to stick with that theory here’s mine.


1. Michael Schumacher

Has driven generally very well but let himself down with a couple of lacklustre performances (Budapest comes to mind). However he proved his status at Indy by bringing it home after falling back because of tyres.

2. Kimi Raikonnen

Totally out-performed his team-mate and made some silly mistakes which ultimately jeopardised his championship chances but of the top three he had the oldest car and has made it work.

3. Ralf Schumacher

An exception to my rule about teammates. He’s been beaten by his but has shown how a mature approach to a race pays off. Unless you believe the dross about not being able to overtake he’s stuck it to just about every driver on the grid this year in some spectacular ways. He let himself down by throwing it at the wall in Monaco. Possibly provided the two races of the season at Silverstone after a daft mistake and Budapest.

4. Juan Pablo Montoya

The driver with possibly the most ability, but an attitude that borders on the petulant. When things go well he is up there and fighting but my perception is that when problems strike he falls away and goes into cruise mode. Sadly disappointing. He has also (some claim it was the car) thrown at least one certain win away. Was unlucky in Austria though.

5. Fernando Alonso

After a bit of a faltering start he’s made the top step. Outshone his more experienced teammate on too many occasions.

6. Jenson Button

May have been a bit more lucky but even when both the cars were running he was streets ahead of JV. Deserves better next year.[/b]

7. Mark Webber

Good solid season actually gaining points for Jaguar. Also he’s been up there fighting at the front when the chances arose. Just unable to consolidate his position. Going by results (points per finish Jaguar) you have to think that Justin W may well provide a serious amount of pressure next year if given the chance.

8. Ralph Firman

Possibly a surprising choice but he has worked hard on improving his game. Very few complaints and has even got a point.

9. Justin Wilson

Hard working and showing his skills in poor equipment. Needs a steady future to get the best out of him though.

10. Jos Verstaapen

The consolation prize goes to the Dutchman who at least made the best of his (probably and hopefully) last tilt at F1. Making that Minardi go was extremely difficult but he disappoints when you compare him to Wilson who had the lesser specification brakes etc.

[Damon]

Peter Mallet putting JPM 4th in any list says a hell of a lot for the season the guy's had (JPM, not Peter ).

1. M Schumacher - it pains me to say it but he's pulled through this year by keeping his nose clean. Major low point was Hungary where he seemed to lose the will to win but since then he's been superb.
2. J P Montoya - a few mistakes, less than most would have you believe, but he's turned his raw speed and aggression into a true Championship contending package. He's grown a lot as a driver this year and nearly pulled of the seemingly impossible when you think where the car was pre-Monaco. He'll be up there again next year.
3. F Alonso - very quick, very determined and an undoubted mega-star of the very near future. However he has run a little hot and cold. Malaysia and Hungary were high points but we've also had the brake testing incident of Nurburgring and his less than impressive Indy performance. For a 22 year old though he's far suppassed expectation.
4. K Raikkonen - super fast in a year old car, dropped it to many times in qualifying.
5. M Webber - flattered the car, mega quick in qualifying.
6. R. Schumcher - it took him long enough but he actually managed to pass his brother this year. Lacked consistency.
7. J Trulli - if he wasn't Alonso's team mate he'd look even better.
8. J Button - shut Villeneuve's trap conclusively.
9. R Barrichello - for Silverstone.
10. G Fisichella - for Brazil.

[f1manoz]

1. Fernando Alonso – Revelation of the season, despite his first ‘revelation’ at Minardi in ’01. Blindingly fast, he’s put the Renault right up there and made Trulli look surplus to requirements. Overlook the mistakes as it’s his first ‘real’ season under the spotlight…

2. Michael Schumacher – Wish this guy would bloody retire! He’s been up and down this season, but he’s worked bloody hard for the title this time around and it’s probably his best so far

3. Juan Pablo Montoya – Really come of age this season with two superb wins and a streak of podiums that never looked like ending. A couple of mistakes, and a bizarre end to his WDC chances at Indy, put a damper on what has been a fine season.

4. Kimi Raikkonen – Superb year in what is nothing more than a year old car. Been bloody fast everywhere and unlucky at times. Really, it’s hard to separate the four drivers. They have been superior to everyone else for most of the year

5. Ralf Schumacher – Two excellent wins mid-season but apart from that he’s done nothing in particular. Started slowly, was on form around Canada, then after his second win in France he’s been iffy. A crash at Monza certainly didn’t help

6. Mark Webber – In some eyes, probably driver of the season as he’s hauled that Jaguar into positions it has no right to be in. Scored plenty of points thanks to his consistency and a podium would be just reward at Suzuka.

7. Rubens Barrichello – Another season as TGF’s lackey hasn’t cooled Rubens’ enthusiasm and he took one of the wins of the season at the wacky British GP. Other than that, he’s been close to TGF at times but not consistently enough yet again

8. Giancarlo Fisichella – Took a great win in Brazil but, like usual, his efforts have been hampered by poor machinery, poor reliability and bad luck. And it’s doubtful whether a move to Sauber will do anything to help his stalling career

9. Jenson Button – Thoroughly walloped JV for most of the year and has revitalised his career. Deserved a podium at Indianapolis.

10. David Coulthard – Makes the list simply because of his win in Australia. But, other than a good race once in a while, he’s been positively smacked by Kimi. Really, someone else deserves that second McLaren seat…

[DNQ]

Originally posted by Peter Mallett
8. Ralph Firman

Excellent choice. He has done better than I thought and has progressed nicely over the course of the season.

My top 10...

1. M Schumacher - not again...
2. K Raikkonen - year old car and still in contention
3. J Montoya - looked to have it in the bag at one stage
4. F Alonso - 2 poles, 1 win, great job
5. M Webber - fantastic all year
6. J Button - gotta admit, he outran JV
7. R Schumacher - had his moments
8. R Barrichello - terrible luck, but fast
9. R Firman - did a good solid job
10. C da Matta - under rated

[Peter Mallett]

Forgot completely about Panis and Da Matta. Which I guess says it all for me then.

[pb btcc]

1.Montoya- after Monaco he looked Superb if only he hadn't made mistakes at Brazil and Austrilla.

2.M. Schumacher- rather Dodgy start for him with no Podium in the 3 races than he won the next 3 then after Canada things went a bit wrong until Monza and Now it looks like he will win the championship in japan.

3.Raikkonen- Super season in year old car.

4.Alonso- got Renault first win for a long time and got some good podium finishes during the season. could still finish 4th in Drivers Championship

5. R.Schumacher- got points in every round untill Siverstone than it went wrong after than BUT he did overtake his Brother for the first time in god knowns how long.

6.Barrichello- had bad luck as he has had every other season when he at Ferrari but he did have that Excellent win at Siverstone

7.Webber- got in the top 10 at every round ran 2nd in Hungary for 20+ laps

8.Coulthard- bad Quilflying Good races

9.Fissichella- good win in Brazil despite having to wait to get the trophy at San Marino

10 Trulli- usual from Jarno good Quilflying Average Races.

[Mattracer]

1. Kimi=Michael
3. JPM
4. Alonso
5. Webber
6. RS
7. Barrichello
8. Coulthard
9. Trulli
10. Panis

[alonso11]

1.MS
2.JPM
3.Alonso
4.Rubens (probably the fastest driver around but he can't mantain
it for a season he cant mantain it for 2 races in a row actually)
5.Da Matta (WOW!)
6.Trulli (probably sold his black-cat finaly,go Jarno!)
7.Webber (coool! does what he has to do and sometimes more)
8.Schumi II (8. is a bit unfair with him but Im lazy to re-edit my
list)
9.Button (great! does what he has to do and sometimes more)
10.Kimi (he is awesome fast just damn boring)

[MichaelH]

1.Alonso
The revelation of the season. Was often faster than Trulli over a single lap, not many drivers can say that; and always more consistant over a race distance. No real errors all season, thought he might end up a "sleeper" in the championship early on but through no fault of his own, his challenge trailed off, only for him to bounce back in style to win in Hungary. If Renault get their engine sorted for 2004, he might just be a major title contender.

2.M Schumacher
First time I've ever been genuinely happy for him to win the title (assuming he does!). Showed human frailty, mid season Barrichello seemed to gain the upper hand, but through it all, and again with the exception being Alonso, he's been the seasons pacesetter and fully deserves to be the most successful driver in F1. If all seasons in the future are like this one I certainly won't begrudge him a couple more titles before he goes into retirement.

3.R Schumacher
Probably, in ultimate terms, when everything is going his way and he's in the mood, the fastest driver in F1. Had a stunning mid season and not even a few dud races at the beginning and end can shake off my feeling that if he ever gets a car he's fully happy with he will blow everyone away. I'm well aware I've ranked him above JPM, I honestly think it's justified.

4.Raikkonen
Some mistakes in qualifying cost him third. I actually don't think he's as quick as the likes of Alonso, the Schumachers and co, but for his age he's an amazing all rounder and certainly a future champion. Best drive in my view was Imola, he so nearly pulled off the impossible and beat Michael on a one-stopper. Yes he's possibly the most boring person in the world, but he can drive.

5.Montoya
Good season, very consistant from Monaco onwards, but he's still not delivering what was promised at the start of 2001 in my view. He had a very reliable season, some luck, a great car, considering Ralf was sidelined so many times, I think Montoya really should have won this year, and he didn't. His drive at Indy reminded me of Hakkinen when he knew he couldn't win...a bit limp. But he's still an absolute class act.

6.Barrichello
Still hard to read, on his day untouchable, often ahead of Michael in qualifying, at Silverstone absolutely staggering but can't keep it up over a full season and unbelievavly unlucky.

7.Fisichella
Heroic and totally uninterested at varios points of the year, but you can't really blame him, the EJ13 was an absolute shitbox. Still a fantastic driver who deserves a top seat.

8.Panis
Everyone raves about Webber for a handful of light fuel, top three qualifying runs. In a Toyota probably less suited to qualifying than the Jag, in my view he's been every bit as impressive, and has scored far less points than he deserved to.

9.Button
Has driven nicely. Stunning at Indy. A few qualifying mistakes. Has beaten JV. But still, only one top six, only three "old points", in 2002 spec I doubt people would be praising him quite as much, to my mind 2002 was better.

10.Webber
Overrated in my view, but he has driven well, deserves a place in the top ten regardless. Has given Jaguar new confidence and direction to acheive more than they ever thought they could before. Good luck to them.

[ralf fan]

1.Alonso: MAn the guy is quick and leads as though hes been winning for ages, the pressure doesnt seem to get to him!!

2.M. Schumacher : the guy did it again! when he needed to he was there, the quly in Monza was special

3.K.Raikonnen : WOW!! what a season, a 2yr old car and still in it...

4. JPM: consistency was the key for this guy ALMOST had the WDC..

5. R.Schumacher: has really hooked onto this single lap quly and after those 2 succesive wins i though this might be his year

6.M Webber: another one whose been good in single lap, amazingly quick even in a JAG!

7.Fisco: A Jordon! and yet quite quick
8.Button : the best i've seen him drive
9.CDM: 1st season in F1 he has impressed
10 Rubens : could have been better for him!

[SKT]

1.KR (trounced DC)
2.JPM (makes MS think twice)
3.MS (driving harder than ever to keep JPM & KR at bay)
4.FA (a talent to be reckoned with, fantastic speed and ability)
5.MW (a solid and gutsy driver, lots of heart)
6.RS (trying harder than ever to keep the status quo)
7.RB (only performs well on circuits where left foot braking doesn't give one an advantage)
8.JB (outperformed JV but not on a consistent basis)
9.JT (solid drives, but is he champion material?)
10.OP (solid but on his way out)

[BootsOntheSide]

1 Michael - I think he's silenced a lot fo doubts this year. At times he's looked incredible - no one else could've won 6 races on Bridgestones, and Indy just reinforced things. Defintely now one of the top 5 of all time.

2 Montoya - 8 Successive podiums should dispel talk of inconsistancy. Most of his mistakes have been excusable. In Australia the car was awful, s 2nd was impressive, especially with Ralf's ragged drive to 8th that day. At Monaco he was supreme, although he slipped up at Indy.

3 Raikkonen - Impressive on many occasions despite inferior machinery. Showed impressive determination and fortitude at Indy to keep teh title alive, and has frequently trounced DC. Unlucky to have only won once.

4 Alonso - Really shook F1 up this year. Astounding natural talent which has resulted in a few records falling, and some amazing drives. Only mistake was in Brazil, but still showed signs of being a future champion.

5 Rubens - Occasionally seemed to be in cruise and collect mode, but he's colelcted a lot, even thoguh the Ferrari no longer seems to be class of the field. Silverstone was amazing, and he's made no major mistakes.

6 Webber - Frequently the biggest threat to the big 4 teams, has produced some amazing qualifying effrots and backed them up with good raceday drives. Could single-handedly earn 5th for Jaguar and 9th for himself.

7 Ralf - Awful early in the year, but showed courage in recovering to star at Nurburgring and France. Less mistakes than Montoya, but some costly ones in Germany and Hungary.

8 Button - And we all though Jacques could beat him.... Impressive, and has shone at times on inferior hardware. unlucky not to be 9th in the table.

9 Coulthard - His day has gone, as some strong raceday showings haven't made up for sluggish qualifying. Set to be #2 from now on.

10 Trulli - Alonso is a special case, so I guess being outqualified by him isn't so bad. The bad luck continues, but so do the seemingly disinterested raceday drives. Impressive in a single lap, and occasionally a threat, but doesn't have the winner's mentality.

[Mark Webber]

1- Kimi Raikkonen- WOW what year in a 2yr car
2- Michael Schumacher- A true champ and a Title he earned
3- Fernando Alonso- Star of the future.
4- Mark Webber- Has been punching out his car weight all year A true future WDC
5- Juan Pablo Montoya- best year so far still some silly mistakes
6- Ralf Schumacher- Far form his best year but mid season was on fire
7- Jenson Button- Showed great form all year with a HONDA!
8- Jarno Trulli- has the speed but not the distance
9- Ralph Firman- was a true challage to Fissi more than not
10- David Coulthard- new Qual doesn't suit him but always there on raceday in a 2 yr old car

[Yoong Montoya]

Originally posted by BootsOntheSide
2 Montoya - 8 Successive podiums should dispel talk of inconsistancy. Most of his mistakes have been excusable. In Australia the car was awful, s 2nd was impressive, especially with Ralf's ragged drive to 8th that day. At Monaco he was supreme, although he slipped up at Indy.

Yeah, many forget how poor the Williams was early in the season. If that had been Raikkonen everyone would have said it was TC failure or oil

[Knowlesy]

I found it difficult to make a top ten. It was so close. Here we go then:

1. Fernando Alonso
A real revelation. I expected him to shine having witnessed his 2001 performances. Didn't expect him to lap Michael on sheer pace at one of the races! Should be the new king of F1 once Schu hangs up the helmet.

2. Juan Pablo Montoya
His run between Monaco (superb win) and Monza was really astonishing and not what we expected of him. Would have been a worthy champion, but...........

3. Michael Schumacher
Some people will look at 2003 and say that Michaels standards had dropped. Indeed, on paper, his summer run looks quite embarrassing. However, he made the most of a bad situation and was always there or thereabouts. Hungary was a minor blip as was Brazil. His drives in Canada and Imola stand out, and Monza was a magnificent win under the utmost pressure. Should clinch the title next week and deservedly so. He had to fight for this one!

4. Kimi Raikkonen
So why is Kimi Raikkonen fourth on my list? Well he has been stunning at times. The Nurburgring stands out as do Hungary and Indy. But sadly, this year may be a wasted opportunity. Has made some bad errors in qaulifying at Australia (he probably would have won if he hadn't), Spain and Canada (both top four potentially). Those are valuable points dropped and ultimately have cost him the title. But hey, he has years ahead of him and has made the most of an inferior paackage for the majority of the year.

5. Mark Webber
Mark has confirmed what we all thought this year - that he is a future champ. Outstanding in qualifying and a consistent points finisher in a somewhat middle-of-the-road car. Destroyed Pizzonia and, so far, is showing Justin Wilson the way. Superb.

6. Ralf Schumacher
Ralf rates highly for me because of the way he has bounced back from criticism and his poor start to the season.
At the beginning of the year, he was qualifying closer to the Minardis than he was to the Ferraris. However, after Austria he snatched a brace of poles and, after heavy criticism for his Canadian performance, responded with two wins on the bounce. Had he not suffered dismal luck in the summer, he could have been in the title reckoning at Suzuka.

7. Jenson Button
There were many who predicted Jenson would get his bottom roundly spanked by Jacques this year. Yet we go into the final round in Japan next week with Jenson on double JV's points and Villeneuve out of a job. Has done a consistently solid job in a reasonable car that too often let both drivers down.

8. Cristiano da Matta
In my opinion, he has had a great debut year. Has outscored his more than respectable team-mate Olivier Panis and has come on in leaps and bounds. Led at Silverstone for a while too!

9. Rubens Barrichello
2003 has been slightly dissapointing for Rubens compared to 2002. But Silverstone was one of the drives of the year and in the middle of the year, he gave Michael a real run for his money. Still seems to suffer worse reliability than his illustrious team-mate, and you do wonder if, without these problems, he could have been in the reckoning in Japan....

10. Ralph Firman
Consider this: Ralph has had to drive probably the worst handling car on this years grid against a rapid teammate with absolutely minimal time to learn all the tracks and his cars nuances. For me, this makes his season impressive. He has been surprisingly close to Fisi at times in quali and scored a point at Barcelona - a circuit that will have magnified the EJ-13's awful chassis. If we were running on 2002's practice and quali sessions, I think he would have given his team-mate something to think about.

You can wake up now.