F1 drivers of the future

The typical modern Formula 1 driver can have a career in the sport which spans up to 20 years (just look at old man Michael) but young talent is always flowing into the sport.

(c) GP2 Media

We have seen some superb talent come through the ranks, with series like GP2, Formula 2 and GP3 training drivers for the next step. So who could we see popping up in an F1 car in the not too distant future? I look at the current talent pool and analyse who has a good chance of getting an F1 drive.


First let’s take a look at those who are closest to F1, GP2. The 2012 season has been both dramatic and thrilling, and eventually saw Italian racer Davide Valsecchi take the championship crown in an exciting climax to the year. The DAMS driver clinched the title with a 4th place finish in the Singapore feature race, before a 5th place in the sprint race. Valsecchi was recently quoted saying he was "ready for F1" now, after 5 long years racing in GP2. There are no current Italian racers in Formula 1, something that does not usually occur. Could Valsecchi get a drive for 2013? I think it is unfortunately unlikely if we look at the short term possibilities, due to a number of factors.

One of the factors is the fact that drivers careers are lasting longer. Just look at the likes of Schumacher and De La Rosa, who are both in their forties. This is not a bad thing, but causes a kind of clog up in the talent pool system as while some drivers stay in F1 for 3 seasons over the typical age of retiring, young drivers have already progressed through the ranks.

Just look at New Zealand driver Mitch Evans, who is currently racing under the wing of Mark Webber. Just 2 seasons ago Evans was still racing in his home continent, but in just 2 years he has graduated from Australia's equivalent of Formula 3 and has taken the GP3 title. Now he is looking at moving to GP2. Drivers are now moving up the ranks even quicker, so there is a sort of build up of fast, talented youngsters who may never reach the dizzying heights of Formula 1.

Another factor in Valsecchi's case is the fact that it took him 5 years in GP2 before taking the title. In the 5 seasons of GP2 that the Italian has competed in, he has finished (in the order from 2008-2012) the championship in 15th, 17th, 8th, 8th and 1st. Hardly blowing people's minds. This reputation of winning in GP2 on his 5th attempt has meant that, while fellow drivers like Max Chilton and Esteban Gutierrez have been signed to F1 teams, he has been ignored. 

 

(c) GP2 Media

Now there is no doubt that Davide has talent, he obviously does. But being in a series for so long and not capturing the eye of a top F1 team has meant that the chances of graduating are slim. His one chance in F1 was with Team Lotus in 2011, where he raced in two practice sessions. Such is the fast pace of F1, he was not retained in that role.

So Valsecchi has a slim chance of making F1, but we will have to see how that progresses over the winter. One to watch though, and unlike Valsecchi has currently got his foot firmly in an F1 teams door, is Max Chilton. The Brit, whose brother is Touring Car racer Tom Chilton, is making a name for himself after an impressive season. He took 2 wins over the year, with the latest one coming at the final round in Singapore. Good timing from Max, as it was the same weekend that he was announced Marussia reserve driver.

Despite not finishing the championship in the top 3, he was close to it. Max has had an interesting career which has had many ups and downs. He scored his first GP2 podium this season, after struggling in his opening two seasons. Max had previously finished 24th and 20th respectively in his first two GP2 seasons, before showing a steady progression through out 2012. He caught the attention of the Marussia F1 team, who own the Carlin GP2 team. This has seen Max race show cars and even test for them in the young driver test, held at the Silverstone circuit. His previous F1 experience before 2012 was an outing in the Force India at the 2011 young driver test and a straight line test for the team.

Max has built up quite a CV over the past few years, could he be the next British star? The possibilities are high, and being linked to Marussia could not be better. The Banbury based squad have a reputation of bringing in new talent. Max has the speed, but he has lacked the aggression needed to make strong overtaking moves. He has made big improvements in that specific area, which has helped him score valuable points to clinch 4th in the overall drivers standings.

Someone in a similar boat to Chilton is Esteban Gutierrez. The Mexican, following in the foot steps of current Mexican F1 star Sergio Perez, is the current Sauber test driver and has held the role for 2 years now. In comparison to Chilton and Valsecchi, his GP2 career has been more successful. In just 2 years he has racked up 9 podium finishes. This includes 4 wins, 3 of which were scored this year. 3rd in the 2012 drivers championship is very impressive for someone who graduated GP3 in 2010.

So could Sauber soon be calling? As with Valsecchi, the problem with a team like Sauber is that if they lose a driver (for example Perez to Ferrari) then there are a number of drivers, including Kovalainen, who are looking for a strong mid-field drive. Gutierrez has a good chance, due to his strong relationship for the team. His pace in F1 testing and young driver tests has been encouraging, so watch out for the Mexican in the not too distant future.

Yes, those are just 3 possible drivers who could break into F1 but the talent pool is very deep. Look at James Calado, he finished 5th in the GP2 championship in his debut year. We can also not discount Luis Razia, and whoever moves into F1 their positions will always be filled by yet more strong drivers.

(c) GP3 Media

GP3 may seem unrealistic for the jump to F1, but many of their young drivers already show huge amounts of talent. GP3 is basically GP2 but with smaller cars, smaller engines and lower speeds. It is the perfect school for future F1 stars, with hard, fast racing.

There are many GP3 drivers who are already looking set for F1. Take Mitch Evans for example. He is graduating to GP2 for 2013, and with his links to Red Bull he has a good chance of moving into F1 in the future. The New Zealand driver now has a CV packed with incredible results, with titles all across Australia and now the GP3 crown.

Some drivers can make the big leap from GP3 to F1. The 2011 world champion Vatteri Bottas is the current Williams reserve driver. He impressed the team so much in GP3 that GP2 wasn't even necessary. Now he drivers the FW34 in free practice, giving him a great platform. He is even being rumoured to make the step into a full time race seat in 2013.

You can also not ignore the likes of Daniel Abt, Antonio Felix Da Costa and Aaro Vainio who did incredible jobs in 2012. Also, Alice Powell impressed in her debut year. She showed that the girls can perform just as strongly as the men, and helped raise the profile for women in motor sport massively over the 2012 season.

Despite the lowly 19th in the driver’s championship, Alice certainly deserved more. She struggled at times to set up the car or had traffic in qualifying, leading to her true pace being hidden. In the race she more often than not went forwards, instead of backwards. She scored her first point at the final race in Monza, an impressive drive. She had the chance to score points in Spain and Monaco but bad qualifying or getting caught in others accidents caused her to miss out. She will be up there at the front in 2013, so keep an eye on her.

Also I must mention the Formula 2 series. Despite small grids for 2012, drivers like Luciano Bacheta, Matheo Tuscher and Dino Zamparelli are performing well. The series is in direct competition with the Formula Renault 3.5 series, which are also breeding some incredible motorsport talents. The likes of Jules Bianchi and Sam Bird, who have F1 reserve driver roles, are showing they are ready for F1. Bianchi looks the most likely to graduate, due to Force India's reputation for giving young, new talent a chance. Also Di Resta and Hulkenberg are being strongly linked to moving teams in the future.   

Sometimes these things just do not work out. We have seen many drivers miss the step to F1 and move across to IndyCar, Le Mans or sports car racing. If you have the talent, you can succeed in most motorsport series but on occasions there is just not an open door to F1.

Another difficulty with securing an F1 driver, after years of hard work, is money. F1 is ALL about money these days, so building up your sponsor bank is important for cashing in to a team. If money was not an option, drivers like Maldonado or Perez could have missed out on a chance in the sport.

It is all about capturing the attention of F1 teams, getting your foot in the door and making the best of the opportunities given. That is what the likes of Max Chilton, Valtteri Bottas and Jules Bianchi are
doing.

The feeder series talent pool is brimming full of potential, but who will make the step up to F1? Who will follow in the footsteps of Lewis Hamilton, Romain Grosjean and Pastor Maldonado. We will have to wait and see.

What do you think? Tweet me @JackLeslieF1 with your views.