Ten F1 Drivers to Watch

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Mar 15, 2007

Ten F1 Drivers to Watch

Fernando Alonso

Can he elevate the team to his championship level immediately or will this be a building season?

Lewis Hamilton

F1's first black driver steps into a solid seat with pressure to perform. Will he?

Kimi Raikkonen

As Michael Schumacher's replacement, he faces big expectations. Ferrari didn't hire him to run second.

Felipe Massa

He had a strong season with Ferrari in 2006 and it will be looking for him to be in the championship hunt.

Jenson Button

He needs to consistently outrun teammate Rubens Barrichello, 34, and show he can help Honda become a championship contender or he'll risk falling out of favor.

Jarno Trulli

At 33, Trulli has one win in 166 starts and was 12th in the championship last year. The pressure is on for him to perform better. If he doesn't, Trulli could be out of F1 at the end of the season.

Giancarlo Fisichella

The team is counting on the Italian with Alonso gone. He was fourth in the championship with one win last season and helped Renault win the Constructors' title. The 34-year-old has three wins in 178 GPs, but has scored 130 or his 246 career points in the past two seasons.

Scott Speed

The American has 18 F1 races under his belt and Toro Rosso, with a new chassis and Ferrari engines, should be improved. Speed should be measured by how he does against teammate Vitantonio Liuzzi. Toro Rosso had a late start and did little preseason testing. It wil be difficult for Speed to score points.

Mark Webber

The team has a new car designed by the well-regarded Adrian Newey and Renault engines. This season should be the 30-year-old Australian's best chance in F1, where he was 87 starts and one podium.

Robert Kubica

He was third in the Italian GP in his third start, earning him a full-season. At 22, the Polish driver appears to have a bright future.

Ten F1 Drivers to Watch