- 03 Nov 08, 21:08#78476Alonso 2005, 2006 Champ - 27
Alonso is a racer out of the very top drawer and in the right car he can definitely win again. However his 2007 season leaves two questions: is he too hot to handle for some of the top teams, and has he exposed fatal character flaws that his opponents could take advantage of in a tight contest? He’s got about five to eight years left to add to his two titles, and if Ferrari doesn’t win the Drivers’ Title next year that’s probably where he’ll go.
Hamilton 2008 Champ - 23
Hamilton starts from the perfect platform of being young, having one of the top cars and being in a team totally dedicated to him. There are two unknowns: I think there’s a good chance Hamilton will stay at McLaren for his whole career, but can McLaren continue to provide him with a championship-winning car, and can he stay as prodigiously dedicated now that he has fulfilled his lifetime ambition? If so, the sky’s the limit.
Raikkonen 2007 Champ - 29
I don’t see Raikkonen hanging around too much longer. He’s won a few races, challenged and beaten some top drivers, raced for the two top teams and won the World Championship. Can you see him putting the work in when he’s already proved everything he wanted to? No. He’ll retire with the next three years I think, without adding to his single title.
Kubica - 23
Kubica’s a weird creature really. He seems rather a dull guy if you ask me, but his talent is clear. That said he’s only ever won the World Series by Renault title (not the toughest of titles to win), was bridesmaid in his second season of Formula Renault (again against pretty weak opposition) and finished a poor 7th in his second season of Euro F3, behind Rosberg and rookie Hamilton, so I think unless his car is by far and away the best (which is very possible), he will struggle to close out a title.
Vettel - 21
Vettel is the very personification of prodigy, but he seems far too nice for the murky business of F1. There’s a chance he could go to Ferrari alongside Massa or Alonso in a couple of years time, but I’d hate to see him alongside Alonso. A better bet would be replacing Heidfeld at BMW and even if that happens four or five years from now he’ll have a lot of time left to stamp his mark on F1. That said, I think there’s far too many drivers who have impressed early on and failed to fulfil their potential that I wouldn’t assume anything just yet.
Massa - 27
I think Massa’s only got two more chances to win his first title, but we’ve seen this year that he is capable of it. If he wins one he can stay at Ferrari for longer, giving him a chance at multiple wins, but I think it’s unlikely that he’ll win more than one.
Rosberg - 23
Motivation ***
Rosberg’s almost certainly has the talent and mental strength to win a championship, the question is whether he’ll ever have the right car. At the moment it looks unlikely but firstly there’s no reason to think he’ll stay at Williams forever and secondly Williams have won titles before and I can’t help but think FW and Patrick Head have one more in them somewhere down the line. He’s as young as Hamilton and Kubica, with more experience, and if he gets into a good team he could win several championships, but I’m not sure he’ll ever get that chance.
Button - 28
Indulge me… If Honda build a championship-contending car there’s no reason in my mind why Button wouldn’t take his opportunity. It seems to have slipped away from him, but it’s still a possibility.
Jaume Alguesuari - 18
Who? This year’s British F3 champ. He saw off two well-fancied team-mates in impressive style and I’m sure he’ll be in F1 in a few years.
Jim Clark, Monza, one lap down...
