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13th
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Auto123.com takes a look at the five newcomers to Formula 1 this season, and rates their chances ahead of this weekend's season curtain raiser, the Australian Grand Prix.
Valtteri Bottas
Team: Williams F1 Team
Car: Williams FW35 Renault
Born: Nastola, Finland
Age: 23
Finland's latest star had the status of a legend even before he'd taken to the track as a Williams race driver after AUTOSPORT magazine begun the #BOTTAS Twitter phenomenon. However, Bottas appears to be the most promising of all the newcomers, as he does not fall into the category of ‘pay driver' like his contemporaries; he brings a sizeably smaller budget than Bruno Senna who he replaced at Williams, so if Sir Frank and the team - men and women who if you cut them bleed petrol - did not believe he could deliver the results that the new Renault-powered FW35 seems capable of, he would not be in the car.
Season objective: Live with teammate Maldonado, and continue the Williams revival.
Esteban Gutierrez
Team: Sauber F1 Team
Car: Sauber C32 Ferrari
Born: Monterrey, Mexico
Age: 22
Esteban Gutierrez comes into the sport with the tag “the chosen one”; at just 22 then, a sense of expectation comes placed on the young Mexican's shoulders to emulate the successes of his compatriot, Sergio Perez. However, whilst Perez - at least before he signed for McLaren - was noted for his consistency, despite finishing a respectable third in GP2 last year, one word blighted Guiterrez's season; inconsistency. If he can get on top of this aspect of his driving and combine it with the speed that he so obviously has, then expect another Formula 1 star to be born. Main sponsor Telmex - and its owner, Carlos Slim who is worth an estimated $75.5bn - will be watching closely.
Season objective: Mix his natural speed with consistency, and manage to be ahead of highly regarded team-mate, Nico Hulkenberg on a few occasions.
Giedo Van der Garde
Team: Caterham F1 Team
Car: Caterham CT03 Renault
Born: Rhenen, Netherlands
Age: 25
At 25, the first Dutch Formula 1 driver since 2007 is the oldest of 2013's newcomers. However, this is the least of his problems as Caterham seems to have produced an underwhelming car this season and the team has admitted it will not see the step forward it so badly needs to clearly place itself ahead of Marussia until the European season begins. Despite this, van der Garde has acquitted himself well within the team by smoothly making the transition from test-driver to race-driver and in the process, and has shown himself to be media and fan friendly as he is always good for a soundbite.
Season objective: Work hard with the team's underwhelming CT03 to stay ahead of Marussia; a difficult task considering they seem to have the momentum at the moment.
Jules Bianchi
Team: Marussia
Car: Marussia MR02 Cosworth
Born: Nice, France
Age: 23
Until the penultimate day of the last Barcelona test, it did not seem that Jules Bianchi was going to be on the 2013 Formula 1 grid. He'd lost out to Adrian Sutil in what was definitely not a shoot-out for the second Force India seat, and another year as a reserve driver seemed the likely option for F1's third Frenchman. However, fate - and one of Luiz Razia's sponsors failing to meet a payment deadline - saw him elevated at short notice to the position of race driver at Marussia; so much so, his helmet still had the ‘Ferrari Driver Academy' stickers when he took to the car for the first time on Saturday. Bianchi comes highly rated from Force India where he was their third driver last season due to his speed and technical ability, and a driver is not part of the Ferrari Driver Academy unless they are seriously talented. He's good, and that's what Marussia need right now.
Season objective: Prove to the world that the faith placed in him by Marussia, Ferrari and Force India is justified and help push the team forward ahead of Caterham. Then there is the small matter of securing Ferrari engines for Marussia in 2014...
Max Chilton
Team: Marussia F1
Car: Marussia MR02 Cosworth
Born: Reigate, England
Age: 21
Despite providing a healthy budget, there still remain some questions around whether Max Chilton is in F1 due to his talent, or the much needed healthy sponsorship package he brings to Marussia given that he has never won a championship in a lower category. However, the youngest driver on the grid will be out to rectify such claims in his rookie season and should he be able to do so, then his friendly attitude and evident hard work he put in over the winter will attract sponsors and push Marussia further towards breaking into the mid-field.
Season objective: To not be beaten by Bianchi and shake off the ‘pay-driver' tag.
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| Giedo Van der Garde, Esteban Gutierrez, Max Chilton, Jules Bianchi, Valtteri Bottas. (Photo: WRi2) |
Valtteri Bottas
Team: Williams F1 Team
Car: Williams FW35 Renault
Born: Nastola, Finland
Age: 23
Finland's latest star had the status of a legend even before he'd taken to the track as a Williams race driver after AUTOSPORT magazine begun the #BOTTAS Twitter phenomenon. However, Bottas appears to be the most promising of all the newcomers, as he does not fall into the category of ‘pay driver' like his contemporaries; he brings a sizeably smaller budget than Bruno Senna who he replaced at Williams, so if Sir Frank and the team - men and women who if you cut them bleed petrol - did not believe he could deliver the results that the new Renault-powered FW35 seems capable of, he would not be in the car.
Season objective: Live with teammate Maldonado, and continue the Williams revival.
Esteban Gutierrez
Team: Sauber F1 Team
Car: Sauber C32 Ferrari
Born: Monterrey, Mexico
Age: 22
Esteban Gutierrez comes into the sport with the tag “the chosen one”; at just 22 then, a sense of expectation comes placed on the young Mexican's shoulders to emulate the successes of his compatriot, Sergio Perez. However, whilst Perez - at least before he signed for McLaren - was noted for his consistency, despite finishing a respectable third in GP2 last year, one word blighted Guiterrez's season; inconsistency. If he can get on top of this aspect of his driving and combine it with the speed that he so obviously has, then expect another Formula 1 star to be born. Main sponsor Telmex - and its owner, Carlos Slim who is worth an estimated $75.5bn - will be watching closely.
Season objective: Mix his natural speed with consistency, and manage to be ahead of highly regarded team-mate, Nico Hulkenberg on a few occasions.
Giedo Van der Garde
Team: Caterham F1 Team
Car: Caterham CT03 Renault
Born: Rhenen, Netherlands
Age: 25
At 25, the first Dutch Formula 1 driver since 2007 is the oldest of 2013's newcomers. However, this is the least of his problems as Caterham seems to have produced an underwhelming car this season and the team has admitted it will not see the step forward it so badly needs to clearly place itself ahead of Marussia until the European season begins. Despite this, van der Garde has acquitted himself well within the team by smoothly making the transition from test-driver to race-driver and in the process, and has shown himself to be media and fan friendly as he is always good for a soundbite.
Season objective: Work hard with the team's underwhelming CT03 to stay ahead of Marussia; a difficult task considering they seem to have the momentum at the moment.
Jules Bianchi
Team: Marussia
Car: Marussia MR02 Cosworth
Born: Nice, France
Age: 23
Until the penultimate day of the last Barcelona test, it did not seem that Jules Bianchi was going to be on the 2013 Formula 1 grid. He'd lost out to Adrian Sutil in what was definitely not a shoot-out for the second Force India seat, and another year as a reserve driver seemed the likely option for F1's third Frenchman. However, fate - and one of Luiz Razia's sponsors failing to meet a payment deadline - saw him elevated at short notice to the position of race driver at Marussia; so much so, his helmet still had the ‘Ferrari Driver Academy' stickers when he took to the car for the first time on Saturday. Bianchi comes highly rated from Force India where he was their third driver last season due to his speed and technical ability, and a driver is not part of the Ferrari Driver Academy unless they are seriously talented. He's good, and that's what Marussia need right now.
Season objective: Prove to the world that the faith placed in him by Marussia, Ferrari and Force India is justified and help push the team forward ahead of Caterham. Then there is the small matter of securing Ferrari engines for Marussia in 2014...
Max Chilton
Team: Marussia F1
Car: Marussia MR02 Cosworth
Born: Reigate, England
Age: 21
Despite providing a healthy budget, there still remain some questions around whether Max Chilton is in F1 due to his talent, or the much needed healthy sponsorship package he brings to Marussia given that he has never won a championship in a lower category. However, the youngest driver on the grid will be out to rectify such claims in his rookie season and should he be able to do so, then his friendly attitude and evident hard work he put in over the winter will attract sponsors and push Marussia further towards breaking into the mid-field.
Season objective: To not be beaten by Bianchi and shake off the ‘pay-driver' tag.