Lewis Williamson

Name: Lewis Williamson
Date of birth: 11 November 1989 (age 21)
Nationality: British
Currently: 6th in GP3 standings

After a successful karting career in Scotland and Britain, Lewis made his first steps into single-seaters with a guest drive in Formula Jedi. He qualified in pole position and won his first ever car race. He then contested the Formula Renault UK Winter Series, in a car leased by Highland Arena, a company set up by family friends to promote sporting talent from the Scottish Highlands. He scored two podium finishes from four races to end up sixth in the final standings.

Lewis contested the full Formula Renault UK season with CRS Racing in 2009, scoring two podium finishes and ending tenth in the final standings. He switched to Manor Competition for 2010, claiming five victories and nine podium finishes. He finished the season as runner-up, narrowly missing out on the title.

At the end of the year he took part in a GP3 Series test after a last minute phone call with Atech CRS boss David Hayle. He topped the timesheets on his first day in the car and was quickest again on the following day. His performance impressed the GP3 teams and he would eventually be signed by MW Arden for the 2011 season.

In December 2010 Lewis won the prestigous McLaren Autosport BRDC Award, after a series of evaluation tests in different machinery at Silverstone.

Before the 2011 GP3 season got underway Lewis was chosen by Red Bull to substitute for their driver Daniel Ricciardo at the ISR team in Formula Renault 3.5 at the season opener at Motorland, while Ricciardo was attending the Chinese Grand Prix. A gearbox issue before the first race prevented him from scoring any points, but the support from Red Bull has continued into his GP3 campaign, where he is wearing their logos.

A tangle with another driver in his first GP3 race in Turkey meant he scored no points from the first weekend of the season. That trend continued at Barcelona but he scored a pole position for the next round at Valencia, finishing the race second. He then scored his first victory in the series at Silverstone on the morning of the British GP. He lies sixth in the standings at the halfway stage, just ten points off the lead.

Talent rating: Despite a late move into single-seaters Lewis has proven his talent since then, finishing runner-up in Formula Renault and then impressing immediately behind the wheel of a GP3 car. He remains in with a chance of the title in GP3 at his first attempt, and has clearly impressed Red Bull. 8/10

Chances of getting to F1: His current form makes him deserving of moving up the ladder, but funding could be an issue. His best hopes are with Red Bull, and being made an official member of their Junior Team. If so, they will probably place him in FR3.5, and perhaps take him to F1 one day. 7/10

Visit Lewis' official website
Like Lewis on Facebook
 Visit Lewis' Wikipedia page

 Photo credits: GP3/Lewis Williamson/DPPI

Jean-Eric Vergne

Name: Jean-Eric Vergne
Date of birth: 25 April 1990 (age 21)
Nationality: French
Currently: Leading Formula Renault 3.5 Series standings

Jean-Eric began his single-seater career in 2007, competing in the French Formula Renault Campus series, part of the FFSA (the French national federation)-run Autosport Academy programme as a training ground for future racing talent. Jean-Eric won the title comfortably, with six wins and ten podiums from 13 starts. At the end of the year he went to a selection trial for the Red Bull Junior Team, impressing the bosses enough to be signed up for the 2008 season.

In 2008 Jean-Eric contested both the Formula Renault Eurocup and West European Cup with the SG Formula team. He finished sixth in the Eurocup standings and fourth in the WEC standings. He was awarded the French Formula Renault title courtesy of being the highest-placed French driver in the WEC. Sticking in both series with SG Formula for 2009, finishing runner-up to Albert Costa in both, scoring seven wins across the two series.

Red Bull placed Jean-Eric in British F3 for 2010 with the Carlin team, following in the footsteps of Daniel Ricciardo and Jaime Alguersuari who had won the title for Red Bull/Carlin in the two previous seasons. Jean-Eric lived up to expectations, winning 13 of the 30 races on his way to the title. He also contested the final three rounds of the Formula Renault 3.5 Series, winning once and scoring three other podiums from six starts. At the end of 2010 he drove for Toro Rosso at the Formula 1 young driver tests at Abu Dhabi.

Jean-Eric is contesting the FR3.5 series full-time in 2011 with Carlin. After a quiet opening round at Aragon - a consequence of missing Friday practice due to simulator work at Red Bull Racing in Milton Keynes - he scored a second place and a victory at Spa, and then two podiums at Monza. He dominated the Hungaroring round taking a double victory to regain the lead of the standings.

Talent rating: Jean-Eric's talent got him selected by Red Bull after just one year in single-seaters, and after a couple of years in Formula Renault he then dominated British F3 at the first attempt, and has since quickly got the hang of Formula Renault 3.5 to lead the championship in his first full year. 9/10

Chances of getting to Formula 1: Jean-Eric's recent form in British F3 and FR3.5 will be enough to convince Red Bull he is good enough for F1. With Ricciardo now getting his chance, Jean-Eric is next in line from the Red Bull Junior Team, and it will only be a matter of time once they can find an F1 berth for him. 9/10

Visit Jean-Eric's official website
Follow Jean-Eric on Twitter
 Visit Jean-Eric's Wikipedia page

Photo Credit: World Series by Renault/DPPI

Daniel Ricciardo

Name: Daniel Ricciardo
Date of birth: 1 July 1989 (Age 21)
Nationality: Australian
Currently: 5th in Formula Renault 3.5

Daniel began his car racing career in Formula Ford in his home country in 2005. For 2006 he won a scholarship into Formula BMW Asia, where he won twice on his way to third in the final standings. He also entered the World Final event at the end of the year, finishing fifth.

2007 saw Daniel switch to Europe and Formula Renault, finishing sixth in the Italian series. His performances attracted Red Bull, who signed him to their Junior Team programme. In 2008 Daniel remained in Formula Renault, winning the West European Cup and finishing second in the Eurocup.

Daniel made the step up to Formula Three for 2009, racing in the British championship with the all-conquering Carlin team. He dominated much of the season, taking seven wins on his way to the title. His Red Bull links saw him test a Formula 1 car for the first time at the end of the year at Jerez. For 2010 he would be the test and reserve driver for both the Red Bull and Toro Rosso teams.

Red Bull placed him in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series for 2010, with the Tech 1 Racing. Having taken four wins over the course of the season, he was set to take the title in his rookie season until he was passed by main rival Mikhail Aleshin with two laps to go in the final race of the season.

He once again tested for Red Bull at the end of the year, dominating the young driver test at Abu Dhabi. With no berth in either of the brand's F1 teams available just yet, it was announced that Daniel would run in the first free practice session at each Grand Prix for Toro Rosso.

Daniel has remained in FR3.5 for a second season in 2011, this time with the ISR squad. His F1 commitments kept him out of the opening round, while he struggled at the second round at Spa. His fortunes improved at Monza though, where he scored his first win of the season. At Monaco he repeated his victory from 2010.

Talent rating: Ricciardo's performances in Formula 3 and Formula Renault 3.5 clearly mark him out as one of the best in the junior formulae and perhaps the next world champion from the Red Bull stable. 9/10

Chances of getting to F1: Ricciardo seems ready for F1 already, it's just a matter of Red Bull finding a space in their lineup. If that chance doesn't come before the end of the season then it will in time for 2012. 10/10

 

Photo credit: World Series by Renault