Adrian Quaife-Hobbs

Name: Adrian Quaife-Hobbs
Date of birth: 3 February 1991 (age 20)
Nationality: British
Currently: Seventh in GP3 Series standings

Though, like most, Adrian began his career in karting, he then began racing in the T-Cars series in 2005. A saloon car series exlusively for drivers aged 14-17, Adrian took eight wins from 17 races to win the series at his first attempt, becoming the youngest ever driver to win an MSA-sanctioned series,

He contined into T-Cars into 2006, but switched focus during the year to begin testing in preparation for his move to single-seaters in 2007. A Formula BMW scholarship gained him entry to the UK series for 2007, where he finished tenth in the final standings. He also began racing in Formula Renault later in the year, entering races in both the Eurocup and North European Cup.

Adrian entered a full season of Formula Renault in 2008, in both the Italian series and the Eurocup with the BVM Minardi team. He finished fourth in the Italian championship with one win, but only managed to score two points in the Eurocup.

Remaining in Formula Renault for 2009, Adrian entered both the NEC and the Eurocup with Motopark Academy, finishing fourth in the standings in both series with one win in each.

Adrian made the step up to Formula 3 for 2010, entering the Euro Series with Motopark. After scoring points in the opening two events he then switched to the new GP3 Series with Manor Racing. After a slow start to the season he was much stronger towards the end, claiming a podium at Spa.

At the end of 2010 he tested in both the Formula Renault 3.5 Series and GP2 Series. He topped the timesheets on three of the five FR3.5 test days in Spain, and was never outside of the top three. In the GP2 test at Abu Dhabi he impressed again, including being third quickest in one of the sessions.

Despite his testing pace in the quicker cars, Adrian has remained with Manor in GP3 for a second season in 2011, and once again after a slow start he took his maiden win in the first race at Valencia. The Manor team's links with the Virgin Racing F1 team saw Adrian complete a straight-line aero test with the team in Spain earlier in the year.

Talent rating: Adrian showed promise early in his career, and while he often showed his potential in Formula Renault he seemed to lack the consistency. Now one of the frontrunners in GP3, he again seems to be unable to regularly show his pace. He did show his pace in FR3.5 and GP2 testing over the winter, however. 6/10

Chances of getting to F1: Adrian has shown he could be competitive in a higher series, and he could also have the backing to do it thanks to the family-run Quaife transmission manufacturer. His established links with Virgin Racing could help him to make that final jump too. 6/10

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 Photo credits: GP3 Media Service, Adrian Quaife-Hobbs

Esteban Gutierrez

Full name: Esteban Manuel Gutierrez Gutierrez
Date of birth: 5 August 1991 (Age 19)
Nationality: Mexican
Currently: Tenth in GP2 standings

Esteban began his single-seater career at the age of 15 in Formula BMW USA in 2007. He finished second in the standings, as top rookie, with four wins and nine pole positions. He made the switch to the new Formula BMW Europe series for 2008, winning the title with seven wins.

For 2009 Esteban stepped up to the Formula 3 Euro Series with the crack ART squad, scoring two podium finishes on his way to ninth in the final standings. At the end of the year he tested for BMW Sauber as a prize for his FBMW Europe crown. This would see him join the team in 2010 (now minus BMW backing) on a driver training programme.


ART entered the inaugural GP3 season in 2010, taking Esteban with them. He would dominate the season, winning five times and taking the title with two races to spare. Sauber named him their official test and reserve driver for 2011.

Unsurprisingly ART promoted Esteban into their GP2 squad for 2011. He suffered a slow start to the year, failing to score any points over the opening three events. At Valencia though he showed strongly all weekend, culminating in a maiden win in the sprint race. This promoted him to tenth in the standings.

Talent rating: After mastering Formula BMW, Esteban was slightly disappointing in his first, and only, year of F3. His switch to GP3 saw him dominate, and after a slow start in GP2 he is now looking like a contender after his maiden win. 8/10

Chances of getting to F1: Just like current Sauber driver Sergio Perez, Esteban is supported by Mexican telecommunications giant Telmex, whose growing interest in F1 will only help Esteban to make the step up when he is ready. Almost a certainty. 9/10

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Photo credits: GP2 Media Service, Esteban Gutierrez, GP3 Media Service

Mirko Bortolotti

Name: Mirko Bortolotti
Date of birth: 10 January 1990 (Age 21)
Nationality: Italian
Currently: Leading FIA Formula Two standings

Mirko began his single-seater career at the end of 2005 when he contested the Formula Renault Italia Winter Series. In 2006 he raced in Formula Azzura, where he finished as runner-up. 2007 saw him move up to Italian Formula 3, finishing a fine fourth in the standings with one win.

Mirko remained in Italian F3 in 2008 for a shot at the title, which he acheived in some style, winning nine of the 16 races including a run of seven wins in the middle of the season. As a prize for winning the championship he got the chance to test a Ferrari F2008 at Fiorano, lapping the circuit quicker than any of the team's drivers had managed in that car.


Mirko was hot property in F1 circles and this led to Red Bull snapping him up to be part of their Junior Team programme. They placed him in the brand new Formula Two championship. He won once at Brno and finished fourth in the standings. He then got another taste of F1 when he tested for Toro Rosso at the young driver test at Jerez in December.

Things were looking good for Mirko, but he was then dropped from the Red Bull Junior Team as the Austrian company looked to slim back its driver programme. Ferrari had been impressed by his test with them though, and signed him to their new Driver Academy.

Mirko would race on the F1 support bill in 2010, in the new GP3 Series. His season would be a disappointing one though, only managing 11th in the standings. This saw him lose his support from Ferrari.

Mirko chose to return to F2 for 2011, starting the season as one of the favourites. He won the first race of the season at Silverstone, with a second place in the second race. He currently leads the standings after another win and a second place at Spa-Francorchamps.

Talent rating: Mirko's performances in Italian F3 impressed Ferrari and Red Bull, and has shown his talent again in F2. He did struggle a bit in GP3 though and neither F1 team was sufficiently impressed to continue their support. 7/10

Chances of getting to F1: Both Red Bull and Ferrari decided that Mirko was not supporting any further, and that will hurt his chances of employment with others. Winning F2 though will remind everybody of the talent that got him noticed in the first place. A lack of financial support could make moving to GP2 difficult, however. 5/10

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Photo credit: mirkobortolotti.it

Kevin Korjus

Name: Kevin Korjus
Date of birth: 9 January 1993 (age 18)
Nationality: Estonian
Currently: Second in Formula Renault 3.5 Series standings

Kevin started racing single-seaters in 2008 at the age of 15, while he was still competing his career in karting. He took part in the Finnish Formula Renault Championship, finishing the year as runner-up with three wins from 12 starts. Kevin moved onto the Formula Renault Northern Eurocup Cup for 2009, with the same TT Racing Team. He finished the season in fifth in the points, with one podium finish.

Kevin continued his progression by stepping up to the Formula Renault Eurocup with the Koiranen Bros team in 2010. He took nine wins from 16 races on his way to the title. He also started five NEC races, winning all of them.

Kevin was recruited by the Gravity Sports Management firm over the winter of 2010-11, and signed to race with Tech 1 Racing in Formula Renault 3.5. He started the season with a victory in the second race at Motorland Aragon, becoming the series' youngest ever winner. He won again at the Nurburgring to lie second overall at the halfway stage.

Talent rating: Kevin's ascent through the Formula Renault ranks has been meteoric, his domination of the Eurocup last year being a particular highlight. Having arrived in FR3.5 at the age of 18 Korjus has already become a leading contender. 9/10

Chances of getting to F1: Signing with Gravity gives him the backing to continue his quick rise to F1. A go at GP2 will most likely be necessary before he can get to F1, but if he does as well there as he has in every previous series, he stands a good chance of being Estonia's first ever F1 driver. 8/10

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Photo credits: World Series by Renault/DPPI and Gravity

Robert Wickens

Full name: Robert Tyler Wickens
Date of birth: 13 March 1989 (Age 22)
Nationality: Canadian
Currently: Leading Formula Renault 3.5 Series standings

Robert began his single-seater career in Formula BMW USA in 2005, picking up two wins and five podium finishes on his way to third in the final standings. His rookie season impressed Red Bull, who signed him up to their junior team for 2006. He duly took the Formula BMW USA title, scoring three wins on the way.

2007 saw Robert make the step up to the Champ Car Atlantic series. He scored podiums in the first two races of the season, and then won the fourth race. He was unable to win again in the remainder of the season, but he did finish third in the standings.

Robert made his first steps into European racing towards the end of the year, contesting the final two rounds of the Formula Renault 3.5 Series season with the Carlin team, driving the car raced by Sebastian Vettel earlier in the year until his F1 call-up. He scored a point in the second race at Estoril, and then finished seventh in the first of the races at Catalunya.

Robert raced in A1 Grand Prix over the winter of 2007-08, scoring a podium in his debut race in Malaysia and then winning in Durban later in the season.

Robert made the switch to FR3.5 full-time for 2008, again with Carlin. A win at Silverstone was the highlight of the year, finishing 12th in the final standings. He also raced in the Formula 3 Euro Series when his schedule allowed, winning at Le Mans.

He switched to the newly-relaunched FIA Formula Two Championship for 2009, and dominated the opening round of the season at Valencia, winning both races from pole position. He failed to continue the season in the same way though, not adding to his win tally and ending the season as runner-up. To add to the disappointment, a thinning out of the Red Bull junior programme at the end of the year saw Robert lose the energy drink giant's support.

Robert signed up to race in another new series for 2010, the GP3 Series with Status GP. He won three times in the second half of the season but that wasn't enough to stop Esteban Gutierrez running away with the inaugural title, Robert having to settle for second place again.

Without the budget to step up to GP2, Robert returned to Formula Renault 3.5 for 2011 with the backing of Marussia, sponsors of the Virgin F1 team. A strong first half of the season has seen him win twice and finish runner-up on four further occasions to lead the championship. In addition to being signed up as a reserve driver for Virgin, Robert will get to drive a Renault F1 car at the next FR3.5 meeting as a prize for topping the standings at the half way point.

Talent rating: His early years in North America proved his talent, and adapted quickly when he made the tricky switch to Europe. Though he has failed to win titles yet, he was runner-up in the first seasons of both F2 and GP3, and now leads the way in FR3.5. 8/10

Chances of getting to F1: Losing Red Bull's support was a blow, but he has picked himself up well and gained the backing of Marussia, which has given him links to the Virgin F1 team. It looks like it will only be a matter of time before they give him a crack. 9/10

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Photo credit(s): Robert Wickens & Formula BMW USA

Roberto Merhi

Full Name: Roberto Merhi Muntan
Date of birth: 22 March 1991 (Age 20)
Nationality: Spanish
Currently: Leading F3 Euro Series and FIA F3 International Trophy standings

Roberto began his single-seater career in 2006 in a round of the Spanish F3 Championship at his local circuit in Valencia. From here he took part in the Italian Formula Renault Winter Series, where he scored three podiums from four races to finish third in the standings.

For 2007, Roberto committed to a full season in Formula Renault, competing in both the Italian series and the Eurocup for the Jenzer team. In the Italian series he finished fourth in the final standings behind the Red Bull trio of Mika Maki, Jaime Alguersuari and Brendon Hartley, winning once at Spa. His Eurocup campaign was not as successful, finishing 18th in the classification.

Roberto remained in Formula Renault for a second full year in 2008, switching to the Epsilon Euskadi team and pairing another Eurocup campaign with an assault on the West European Cup. He fought for both titles, ending up runner-up to Daniel Ricciardo in the WEC, with three wins, and fourth overall in the Eurocup, with two wins. He also did a part-campaign in Spanish F3, winning twice. He also took part in the Zandvoort Masters and Macau GP events with Hitech Racing.

It was time for Roberto to step up to Formula 3 full-time for 2009, with Mercedes-Benz backing him as he raced for Manor in the F3 Euro Series. He was immediately on the pace, finishing second in the first race of the season. Three further podiums came his way, ending the year seventh in the standings.

2010 saw him switch from Manor to Mucke in the Euro Series. This allowed him to score his first win, at Hockenheim. However, he could only score three more podium finishes during the year, finishing fifth in the standings. Roberto joined the new GP3 Series for the third round of the season at Valencia, driving for Atech CRS. He scored a double podium finish, and remained with the team for the rest of the year, ending the season sixth in the standings.

With Mercedes' support, Roberto remained in the F3 Euro Series for a third year for 2011, joining Prema Powerteam. He won a race at the season opener at Paul Ricard, then won twice at Hockenheim to gain an early advantage in the standings. He won twice at the Red Bull Ring, coming from eighth on the grid in the second in soaking conditions.

Talent rating: Roberto showed his potential early on in Formula Renault, and again upon moving up to Formula 3. Getting to grips with F3 does appear to have taken some time, but he is now dominating the category and is still young at 20. 8/10

Chances of getting to F1: Roberto may be showing his class in F3 but he will still need to move into GP2 and show well there before he can get a crack in F1. Winning the Euro Series should help to maintain support from Mercedes, which could help him get his break. 7/10

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Photo credit: Roberto Merhi

Charles Pic

Name: Charles Pic
Date of birth: 15 February 1990 (Age 21)
Nationality: French
Currently: 3rd in GP2 Series standings

After karting, Charles stepped up into single-seaters in 2006, racing in the Formula Renault Campus series in his homeland. For 2007 he moved onto the French Formula Renault 2.0 championship, as well the Eurocup, both with the SG Formula outfit. He finished fourth in the French championship, and impressive third in the Eurocup.

With little more to prove at that level Charles graduated to the Formula Renault 3.5 Series for 2008 with the Tech 1 Racing team. Again he adapted well to the increase in power, scoring two victories, including on his Monaco debut, and finishing sixth in the final standings. Remaining in the series with Tech 1 for 2009, he again won twice, at Silverstone and Nurburgring, and finished third in the standings in the middle of a tight five-way fight for the runner-up spot behind champion Bertrand Baguette. He was also a member of the Renault Driver Development scheme that year as the French manufacturer looked for a new national star. The change of ownership at the team however saw a shake-up of its development program and Charles was dropped for 2010.

Charles made his move to GP2, contesting the Asia series with Arden over the winter of 2009-10. He won one of the eight races, finishing eighth in the final classification. He stuck with Arden for the main season in 2010. His season began well as he won the opening race of the season at Barcelona. However, he only scored points on four further occasions during the season, ending up tenth overall.

Looking to fight at the front on a more regular basis in 2011, Charles switched to the Addax team. The four Asia series races left him with no points, but the main series has produced far better results. A strong points-scoring weekend at Istanbul was followed by an impressive win in the feature race at Barcelona where he overhauled the leading pair with his pace during the pitstop phase. Another win followed at Monaco, taking a lights-to-flag victory in the sprint race. He now lies third in the standings, just one point off the joint leaders in what is looking to be a close-faught title fight.

Talent rating: Charles' rise through the Formula Renault ranks was impressive as he quickly adapted to the increases in power at each rung on the ladder. Stuck in the midfield for much of his rookie GP2 season, his move to frontrunners Addax has seen him shine. 8/10

Chances of getting to F1: At 21 Charles still has time on his side, and further seasons in GP2 would do him little harm if the opportunity did not present itself for 2012. He has some personal sponsorship as well as the support of the French federation, the FFSA. 7/10

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Photo credit: GP2 Media Service