Profiles Index
Lewis Hamilton: The Trailblazing Driver at McLaren-Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton's rise to the pinnacle of world motor racing is a story unique in the history of Formula 1. After years of proving to be one of the fastest, most successful drivers in the lower series the young British driver joined the illustrious McLaren Mercedes team in 2007 to become the first black driver in F1 history. He then set rookie records.
Danica Patrick: First Woman To Win a Major International Open-Wheel Race
In 2008 Danica Patrick became the first woman to win a major international open-wheel race when she won an Indy Racing League event in Japan. Before that, however, she had a long career working here way up the levels in open-wheel racing in Europe with a view to making it to Formula 1. She first attracted international attention when she became the first woman to lead the Indianapolis 500.
Giancarlo Fisichella: A Driver's Driver in a Make or Break Year
Giancarlo Fisichella has long been one of the most highly respected drivers in Formula 1, but the Italian from Rome had a difficult time finding the right team at the right time. When he joined Renault in 2005, he was finally there. Then unfortunately, his teammate, Fernando Alonso, won most of the races and the drivers' titles in 2005 and 2006. The 2008 season will be make or break it for Fisichella.
Kimi Raikkonen: The Iceman From Finland, a Cool Ferrari Driver
After twice finishing second in the Formula 1 drivers' title series at McLaren, Kimi Raikkonen joined Ferrari in 2007. At the dominant team of the last decade, in 2007 the Finnish driver finally broke the jinx and took his first championship crown.
Renault: Formula 1 World Champions Against the Odds
Although the Renault car manufacturer was long one of the most successful engine builders in Formula 1, it was not until 2005 that Renault managed to win a world constructors' title as both engine and chassis builder. It also won the drivers' title that year with Fernando Alonso, and then won both titles again in 2006. The team lost Alonso for 2007, dropped in the standings, but rehired the Spaniard for 2008 and has high hopes for a renewal.
Fernando Alonso: The Youngest Double World Champion in History
In 2006 Fernando Alonso became the youngest double world champion in Formula 1 history, and the youngest to win consecutive drivers' titles. In fact, at 25, but with five seasons of F1 racing behind him, the Spaniard had a series of "youngest" records to his name. He then joined McLaren-Mercedes for 2007, just missed on the title, and rejoined Renault for 2008.
Nelson Piquet Jr.: Son of Triple World Champion Gets His Break
Nelson Piquet Jr. is the latest in a string of sons of former world champion Formula 1 drivers to follow in his father's footsteps, his father having won the title three times in the 1980s. And Nelsinho, as he is also known, while having help from his father since the beginning, also proved that he merits chance in his rookie season in 2008 at the Renault team.
Force India: A Country Increases its Formula 1 Involvement
The Force India F1 team grew out of the Spyker team, which grew from the former Jordan team, by way of a year as the Midland F1 team. Bought in 2007 by the Indian financial tycoon, Vijay Mallya, the team is seen as a first step toward a greater involvement by India in Formula 1 racing. This should culminate in an Indian Grand Prix by 2010.
McLaren Mercedes: F1's Second Most Successful Team
McLaren Mercedes is the second most successful Formula 1 team, behind Ferrari. It has won races in five different decades of racing in the FIA Formula 1 world championship. From its earliest years, in the 1960s, it has been one of the top teams. It made a successful transition to new management in the early 1980s, when Ron Dennis took over running the team, and the period when Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna raced as team mates was one of the strongest in F1 history.
Felipe Massa: Young Ferrari Driver Changes Perception to Become F1 Favorite
Felipe Massa climbed his way steadily and quietly up the Formula 1 ladder at Sauber until last year he had his big chance as a regular driver for the Ferrari team. As Michael Schumacher's teammate the Brazilian did not disappoint, winning the first two races of his career, at the Turkish Grand Prix and the Brazilian Grand Prix. As teammate to Kimi Raikkonen at Ferrari, Massa became a favorite to win the drivers' title.
Jenson Button: A British Driver Makes Good at Honda Formula 1 Team
After seven seasons in the sport, Jenson Button finally won his first Formula 1 race in 2006 at the Hungarian Grand Prix. The victory justified one of the most difficult decisions in his career when in 2004 he broke a contract with the Williams team in order to stay with the Honda team, causing bitterness and criticism throughout the paddock.
Vitantonio Liuzzi: Colorful Italian Formula 1 Driver Still to Prove His Worth
Vitantonio Liuzzi, also known as simply Tonio Liuzzi, was a great hope for Formula 1 when he started racing in the series at the Red Bull team in 2005. He had won the karting world championship and beaten Michael Schumacher at the same time, and then he won the Formula 3000 series with the record number of victories. He was supported by the Red Bull energy drink company. But in his first year he was forced to share the car with Austrian driver Christian Klien, then moved to Toro Rosso.
Adrian Sutil: Precocious Pianist Quits Concert Hall for Formula 1 Race Track
Adrian Sutil joined the Spyker F1 team after a distinguished career in the lower formulas and go-karting. Yet even before he discovered racing he had a career as a child concert pianist. It was not until he was 14 that he discovered go-karting, and decided to change careers. He joined Formula 1 at one of the lowest level teams, however, and will not be expected to do as well as his former F3 teammate, Lewis Hamilton, another F1 rookie.
Alexander Wurz: The Articulate, Technically Minded Formula 1 Driver
Alexander Wurz has had one of the most unusual careers in racing, starting as a child cycling star and then moving to Formula 1 in 1997 at the age of 23. After four seasons at Benetton he joined McLaren-Mercedes as a test driver, filling in during one race, in 2005, before joining Williams as a test driver the following year. From there, the Austrian made one of the biggest career turnarounds, by joining Williams as a full time racer for 2007 - at the age of 33 and after six seasons testing.
Christijan Albers: The Serious, Solid Dutchman in Search of Formula 1 Results
Christijan Albers enters his third year in Formula 1 at the Spyker team. After two seasons at inferior teams - Minardi and Midland (Spyker's predecessor) - his biggest challenge of the season will be to prove himself against his strong new rookie team mate, Adrian Sutil. Christijan excelled in the lower formulas and in DTM, the German touring car series. But he has yet to prove himself in F1.
Mark Webber: Australian Eternal Hopeful Takes the (Red) Bull by the Horns
Australian driver Mark Webber enters a crucial year in his career as he joins the Red Bull team in 2007. After five years in F1, Webber, 30, will partner David Coulthard, one of the most victorious drivers still racing. Webber has outraced all of his teammates, but always seemed to be at the wrong team at the wrong time, or, as in the case of Williams, the right team at the wrong time.
Nico Rosberg: Formula 1 World Champion's Son Joins Dad's Old Team
Son of the Formula 1 world champion Keke Rosberg, Nico Rosberg proved in his first season that he is capable of racing with the best F1 drivers. In fact, as the youngest driver in the series, he is using his years as a driver at the Williams team intelligently to develop his technical knowledge and racecraft as he tries to follow in his father's footsteps. Nico scored two points in his first race in F1 and set the fastest lap. But the rest of his first season was less exemplary.
Kazuki Nakajima: Japanese Son Takes the Quiet Road to Formula 1
Kazuki Nakajima is the son of Satoru Nakajima, who was the first Japanese driver to land a full time race seat in Formula 1. Kazuki rose up the categories from karting to F1 by way of the Toyota young driver program to land his own full time drive in the sport in 2008 at the Williams team.
Sakon Yamamoto: Next Generation Japanese Formula 1 Driver
Sakon Yamamoto has had a short and noticeable career in Formula 1. In 2006 the Japanese driver was hired by the new Super Aguri team to replace Franck Montagny, who had in turn been hired to replace another driver who had proven to be too dangerous on the track. Yamamoto failed to finish his first four races, but then finished his last three. Spyker then hired him in 2007 to replace Christijan Albers.
David Coulthard: Last of the Gentleman Drivers
David Coulthard has been racing in Formula 1 since 1994, when he joined the Williams team after the death of Ayrton Senna. The Scottish driver has won many races and always proved he was a good and sure value for any team. But he never won the drivers' title.
Heikki Kovalainen: A Personable, Articulate Finnish Wild Card
Following in the footsteps of two great Finnish drivers - Mika Hakkinen and Kimi Raikkonen - the latest young Finn has a couple of hard acts to follow. But everything from his results in the lower levels of racing indicates that Heikki Kovalainen has what it takes for Formula 1 success. Personally, he is more demonstrative than his predecessors and could become a great crowd pleaser of the coming years. After a deceptive first year at Renault, Heikki moved to McLaren in 2008.
Scott Speed: Former American F1 Driver
In 2006 Scott Speed became the first American driver in Formula 1 since Michael Andretti in 1993. In a sport that has only two American world champion drivers - Phil Hill and Mario Andretti - and few other successful American drivers, Speed, as with any American driver, had a lot to prove. Unfortunately, Speed lasted only a season and a half before he left the team in the summer of 2007.
Timo Glock: An F1 Driver Finds His Second Chance
Timo Glock came to Formula 1 racing full time rather late and after a great resuscitation in his career. After a short stint at the Jordan team in 2004, the German returned to race at Toyota full-time four years later. A rare feat for an F1 driver.
Takuma Sato: Japan's Greatest Formula 1 Driver
Takuma Sato started at the Jordan team in 2002 after racing in the lower series in Europe. He was hired to race at the BAR-Honda team in 2003. There he scored points, as well as the highest qualifying position by a Japanese driver in Formula 1. He scored a podium at the U.S. Grand Prix in 2004, where he finished third. In 2006 he joined the fledgling Super Aguri Honda team, which was built around him.
Sebastian Vettel: Formula 1's Youngest Driver
When Sebastian Vettel was called in to replace Robert Kubica at the U.S. Grand Prix in 2007 and finished eighth he became the youngest driver to score a point in Formula 1. Vettel was the test driver at the BMW Sauber team, but he was also part of the Red Bull Energy drink's driver development program. So when Scott Speed was kicked out of the Toro Rosso team before the Hungarian Grand Prix that same year, Vettel was hired to replace him.