Preview: Battle of the Formula 1 minnows

Drivers who will be competing for the "minnow" F1 teams

Mar.9 (Daniel Chalmers) We look at the prospects of Grand Prix drivers with the so called minnow teams. Three of these are new operations who have their work cut out to match the big guns of Formula 1, namely Virgin Racing, Lotus F1 and Hispania Racing Team. Also counted among the minnows, who will line up on the Bahrain grid, are Sauber whose partnership with BMW was terminated last year.

All these teams face a battle for survival in 2010 and for that reason the performance of their respective drivers will impactive massively on the future of these teams. Daniel Chalmers takes a look at these drivers and rates their chances ahead of season opening Bahrain Grand Prix.

Sauber – Kamui Kobayashi

Kamui Kobayashi

It’s fair to say Kamui Kobayashi has very quickly become a fan favourite after just two races. When he replaced Glock for those last two races nothing was expected of him so when he delivered two entertaining and quick drives he became a hero.

History shows that Peter Sauber is good at spotting talent, as he demonstrated when he gave Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen their F1 debuts, so can history repeat itself?

The main problem for Kamui this year is going to be the added level of expectation there is going to be surrounding him in 2010. He is going to be under much more pressure to produce more of the same consistently, therefore risks becoming a victim of his own success.

There is no doubt that he is a very quick and aggressive driver, and he is willing to be brave and take risks. However he must be careful not to get too over-excited, and make silly mistakes like his fellow countryman Takuma Sato used to.

One big bonus is that he has the experienced Pedro De La Rosa to guide him, and help his star shine brighter.

The question is really going to be: Was 2009 a flash in the pan or is Kobayashi really a very special talent? 2010 will give us the answer.

Verdict: This is the season that will really show us the true extent of Kobayashi’s talent
Driver Rating: 7/10

Sauber – Pedro de la Rosa

Pedro de la Rosa

Spaniard Pedro de la Rosa’s appointment to Sauber raised some eyebrows. However he will bring a lot to the team in 2010. As a long term test driver for Mclaren he has become incredibly strong at setting up the car, and helping the team with development. He will help Sauber drive forward the car’s development, which in turn will benefit young Kobayashi hugely. In an era of limited testing, and limited resources it’s crucial to have an experienced hand.

The big question is how good will De La Rosa be on the track? His main issue is he hasn’t raced in F1 for four years. However in a strong car Pedro has proved he’s got speed. In the 2005 Bahrain GP he earned the fastest lap of the race for Mclaren, and his results in 2006 (whilst replacing Juan Pablo Montoya) were solid.

Verdict: De La Rosa could surprise a few people this season
Driver Rating: 6.5/10

Virgin Racing – Lucas di Grassi

Lucas di Grassi

Lucas di Grassi fully deserves to be making his F1 debut this season. For the last three seasons he has been a front runner in the GP2 series finishing in the top three. His performance in 2008 was particularly impressive. He didn’t have a drive for the first three race weekends (meaning he missed six races). Despite this he still got himself into the championship hunt, and won three races. Had he started the season he could well have been champion.

His performances when testing for Renault in the past have been very strong. As an added omen, Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen drove for Manor Motorsport in Formula 3 (just as Di Grassi did) and both went on to win in F1. His main aim this season has to be to beat more experienced team mate Timo Glock to put himself on the map.

Verdict: Very promising rookie who will give Glock a very stern test
Driver Rating: 5/10

Virgin Racing – Timo Glock

Timo Glock

Timo Glock has taken a big risk by joining one of the new teams. He might wonder later on if he would have been better off hanging on to see if he could drive for Renault or Sauber. However he was worried about the uncertainty surrounding both teams at the time.

When Glock hits the sweet spot he is as strong as any driver out there. His second place finish at Singapore last year and Hungary 2008 were both incredible drives. However he needs to be more consistent. Before his second place in Singapore he only qualified 16^th in Monza finishing 11^thin the race. He can sometimes make silly mistakes as well, such as his accident in Suzuka last year.

Overall though he is a quick and enthusiastic driver whose experience will be invaluable to Virgin, but he has to get the better of his rookie team mate or his career will end up in a rut.

Verdict: Glock has to convincingly beat Di Grassi to have any chance of landing a more competitive drive in future.
Driver Rating: 6/10

Hispania Racing F1 Team – Bruno Senna

Bruno Senna

Many think that Bruno Senna has only got to where he has because of his surname. That is simply very harsh. Of course doors have opened, but he didn’t finish 2^nd in the 2008 GP2 championship because of his name. He finished 2^nd because he had the ability to do so.

Furthermore the success he has enjoyed, despite only starting professional racing at 18, proves that he has great natural talent. His GP2 victories in Monaco, and a wet Silverstone in 2008 shows he has inherited some of his uncle’s genes.

The main problem for Senna is going to be the amount of pressure his surname puts him under in 2010. And his success may well be decided by how well he copes with that pressure.

His other problem is he hasn’t raced in single seaters for a year, after failing to land the second Brawn seat last year. He hasn’t got hundreds of testing miles under his belt this winter due to the uncertainty surrounding Campos (now HRT).

Verdict: Will start 2010 on the back foot, but could sneak a point or two later on in the year
Driver Rating: 5.5/10

Hispania Racing F1 Team - Karun Chandhok

Karun Chandhok

The big question is whether he belongs on the F1 grid. It will be his job to demonstrate that he does have a place in F1.

He has shown flashes of speed throughout his GP2 career but has also made mistakes, and had races where he has simply under-performed. He hasn’t been able to find consistency.

Last season he only finished 18^th in the GP2 championship scoring just 10 points in the process.

He has already had Bruno Senna as a team mate at I-Sport in 2008. Senna comfortably won that battle by 64 points to 31.

Succeeding in 2010 is going to be a huge challenge for Karun with his lack of F1 experience, and season preparation.

He has to make the most of his lucky break in the same way as Kobayashi did last year.

Verdict: If he manages to stay in F1 for a second season he’s had a great year
Driver Rating: 4/10

Lotus – Jarno Trulli

Jarno Trulli

After Toyota withdrawing from F1 Trulli has linked up again with Mike Gascoyne. Over a single lap Trulli is one of the quickest drivers in the business. Even if he looks off the pace in practise he can suddenly find an extra two or three tenths when it counts.

He has regularly qualified a car further than it deserves to be. His race pace has often been questioned but that’s because it’s much more difficult to out-drive a car over an entire race distance, hence why we see the so called “Trulli trains”.

His main issue this season could be motivation. With the likelihood of being stuck at the back for most of the year, will he be more tempted to spend more time in his vineyard in Italy, rather than at the team factory in Norfolk?

Verdict: Will deliver a few giant killing one lap specials, but could lose inspiration if the team don’t move forward
Driver Rating: 7.5/10

Lotus – Heikki Kovalainen

Heikki Kovalainen

Kovalainen has a point to prove after two disappointing years at Mclaren. It was always going to be difficult against Lewis Hamilton but it’s clear that he largely under-performed and cracked under pressure at Mclaren. He is a much better driver than his results have shown though.

Fuel corrected Kovalainen actually had two pole positions last year in Valencia and Monza, so like Trulli his one lap pace is strong.

His race pace was poor in 2009, but during his spell at Renault in 2007 he drove a few very strong races, including that second place in Fuji.

Away from the spotlight, the pressures of top team, and with perhaps more love and attention than he got at Mclaren Kovalainen could thrive in 2010.

Verdict: Will impress and revive his career
Driver Rating: 7/10 Print This Article