Gulf Life’s guide to the 22 drivers competing for the 2008 F1 championship
01 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari 2007 championship position: 1st F1’s monosyllabic iceman lets his driving do the talking. The Finnish superstar avoided the controversies that dogged last season and, in the final race, emerged a worthy champion.
02 Felipe Massa Ferrari 2007 championship position: 4th Last year, Massa was meant to step out of the shadow of retired team-mate and seven-times world champion Michael Schumacher, but Räikkönen was faster and it looks like a supporting role again in 2008.
03 Nick Heidfeld BMW Sauber 2007 championship position: 5th Quiet, under-rated German, who slipped almost unnoticed into fifth place in the F1 championship last season. Will be aiming to score his and BMW’s first win in 2008.
04 Robert Kubica BMW Sauber 2007 championship position: 6th Highly regarded young Pole, who had a colossal shunt at last year’s Canadian Grand Prix. The experience may help him turn his speed into success.
05 Fernando Alonso Renault 2007 championship position: 3rd Double champion who, last year, struggled to cope with life at McLaren with Lewis Hamilton. Now back at Renault, he will want to prove he’s still the fastest man on the track.
06 Nelsinho Piquet Renault 2007 championship position: — Son of triple world champion Nelson, the young Brazilian will have a job matching team-mate Alonso – but bear in mind how rattled the Spaniard was by another rookie in 2007!
07 Nico Rosberg Williams 2007 championship position: 9th Well-regarded, but struggles for more than a podium at underfunded Williams. Not likely to match his father, Keke, who won the world championship for the team in 1982.
08 Kazuki Nakajima Williams 2007 championship position: 22nd Failed to set the world alight in his one appearance in 2007, but will have more opportunity to make his mark as a full-time driver this year. His father, Satoru, raced in the 1980s.
09 David Coulthard Red Bull Racing 2007 championship position: 10th The oldest driver on the grid, Scot Coulthard can mix it with the best of them on occasion. With retirement looming, he will be looking to remind F1 what he can do.
10 Mark Webber Red Bull Racing 2007 championship position: 12th Australian who, despite great promise, has never made it into a winning team. Will be hoping Red Bull can up their game in 2008 and give him the opportunities he needs.
11 Jarno Trulli Toyota 2007 championship position: 13th Former race winner who hasn’t made much impression since joining Toyota in 2005. Good in qualifying, but rarely repeats his pace in race conditions.
12 Timo Glock Toyota 2007 championship position: — Competent German who is getting his second chance at F1 after a patchy four-race stint in 2004. Won F1 feeder series GP2 last year, which should have sharpened his racing skills.
14 Sebastien Bourdais Toro Rosso 2007 championship position: — Studious Frenchman, finally getting an F1 chance after winning America’s Champ Car series four times in a row. Hopes to fare better than other Champ Car refugees.
15 Sebastian Vettel Toro Rosso 2007 championship position: 14th Blisteringly quick German, who looks younger than his 20 years. Became F1’s youngest point-scorer in 2007 and claimed his team’s highest race finish, fourth. One to watch.
16 Jenson Button Honda 2007 championship position: 15th Genial charmer, who drives for the right team at the wrong time. Left Renault just before it hit gold and Honda has failed to match expectations.
17 Rubens Barrichello Honda 2007 championship position: 20th Barrichello made his debut in the era of Senna, Prost and Mansell, but failed to score last year for the first time. Must improve if he is to race in 2009.
18 Takuma Sato Super Aguri 2007 championship position: 17th A hero in Japan, Sato can be as quick as the best of them, but has earned a reputation for big shunts. Scored Super Aguri’s first points in 2007.
19 Anthony Davidson Super Aguri 2007 championship position: 23rd Quirky Englishman, who failed to match team-mate Sato’s pace in 2007, but he will be determined to close the gap and will want to make a mark.
20 Adrian Sutil Force India 2007 championship position: 19th Performed decently in 2007 in uncompetitive machinery. Has a chance to show he can compete as he comes up against new team-mate Fisichella.
21 Giancarlo Fisichella Force India 2007 championship position: 8th Once hailed as a possible world champion, by the time he got his big break, he was past his best. A triple race winner, he will find it hard to repeat that success at Force India.
22 Lewis Hamilton McLaren 2007 championship position: 2nd The British driver made such a big impression in 2007 that many people mistakenly believe he won the championship. He will be looking to put that right in 2008.
23 Heikki Kovalainen McLaren 2007 championship position: 7th Fast Finn who impressed on his debut at Renault last year. Not likely to match Hamilton, but if McLaren deliver the goods, he should score his first race win.
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