Poll Future World Champions 2011

[Greenlantern101]

You get a feeling in your gut when certain drivers start racing that they are future world champions such as when Vettel and Hamilton started racing (Well I did).

So who do you think will win the WDC within there F1 career ?
N.B. Current and past F1 champs not included because they have already won.
Pick as many as you think appropriate.

 

[jez101]

Great thread Mr 101 (are you my long-lost twin brother )

I'm totally with you on being able to see the greats within a very short time of them starting to race. In my life I have watched Senna, Schumacher, Button, Alonso, Hamilton and of course Vettel make massive impressions almost straight away. To that list I would add Alessandro Nannini and Jean Alesi as drivers who I thought were special, but didn't win for different reasons. I did under estimate Hakkinen a bit, but I was at Uni at the time and not paying such close attention

On Vettel though, please allow me the liberty to quote something I wrote on a BBC comment on 2nd March 2009

Vettel is the next F1 superstar.

F1 drivers have always been ranked by how well they have done in the wet because it levels the playing field. Monza 2008...

Vettel is on his way through the ranks to a top car. Maybe the Red Bull is it, but maybe they just got the jump on the really big teams by signing him to their junior team (which no one else could have done).

The question really is whether the Red Bull is as good as Sebastien Vettel or whether he will make another step up at the end of 2009.

He will be world champion. If I was Ron or Stefano he would already be my driver - whatever the price.

This is of course self-agrandisement but is also kind of central to answering your question: Vettel is still only 24. He is already a double world champion, but he isn't going anywhere. Any future world champion in the next 15 years is going have to beat Seb.

He isn't going to win them all. So much depends on the car of course and McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes all have the ability to produce that winning machine. Any future world champion has to be in one of those cars and seats are limited. Hamilton still only 26. Alonso, 30, Button, 31. First someone has to get in one of the other 4 seats that just might win, then they have to beat one of these guys...

I have said Nico (26) and I honestly think he will at some stage. He is good enough and well respected enough to have a regular seat in one of the big 4 teams and crucially has beaten all his team mates (in my book anyway), except perhaps Webber in his rookie year. He is giving himself every chance that he will be in the right car at the right time and beat the other guy to take the opportunity he will undoubtedly get.

I'm not backing anyone else at even odds, but if you offered say say 3/1 I might think of adding Perez. Of the other current drivers? I can't see it. Of the future ones? I have no evidence beyond the young driver tests (people who follow GP3 and GP2 will have a better view than me), but I haven't seen anything yet that tells me that Vergne, Wickens and Bottas won't win the title.

It's a tough time to be a young driver.

 

[Viscount]

Kevin Magnussen - McLaren Young Driver.

 

[jez101]

Kevin Magnussen - McLaren Young Driver.

So, he's better than his dad I assume? Can you tell us anything more than Wikipedia?

 

[Road of Bones]

Nico Hulkenberg - he looked very good in GP2, and that pole in Brazil was really rather special.
Nico Rosberg - also very good in GP2, and fastest lap in his first F1 race was a statement of intent.
I went for "Other" in Sam Bird - some of his overtaking in GP2 has been supremely clinical, though he needs to stop getting caught up in midfield silliness.

Of course, any choice would hinge on that driver being in the right team at the right time with a competitive enough car (and perhaps Vettel breaking his finger in the next season or two...)

 

[Galahad]

Obviously a very difficult question to be answer, and I doubt anyone will get it spot on.

History tells us that it's as much about being in the right place at the right time, as much as being talented. So I've gone for Perez, who I think will end up in Massa's seat, and Vergne, who is a longer shot at this point, but could figure in Red Bull in the medium term. Nico Rosberg is the one I was toying with, he could end up in a top drive, but I don't see him beating Vettel, Hamilton or Alonso in the same team, and that leaves him hoping for a very favourable combination of circumstances.

 

[KekeTheKing]

Rossi! Rossi! Rossi!

Ok I've let patriotism cloud my judgement, but in all honesty I don't see a new champion breaking through for quite some time. Alexander might be on for a title in about 2017.

A boy can dream can't he?

 

[Viscount]

So, he's better than his dad I assume? Can you tell us anything more than Wikipedia?

He is faster than his dad and has his experience to learn from. He attended a Formula Renault 3.5 test last year and topped the timesheets being ahead of Daniel Ricciardo and then also topped the timesheets at this years test, he's moving up to that series for 2012 with Carlin. Won a wet race at Donington this year almost Senna-esque starting 5th and climbing to 2nd within the first lap.

He's got the talent, decent sponsors and McLaren backing to make it to F1. If he can actually make it into the McLaren team I think he'll have an opportunity to win a championship.

 

[teabagyokel]

I don't know, but I'll go through them...

Barrichello - 2009 was his chance, battered by Button
Bruno Senna - Not good enough
Jerome d'Ambrosio - I won't rule that out
Vitaly Petrov - Top teams don't need pay drivers
Felipe Massa - If he couldn't win in 2008 when the cards all fell for him...
Pastor Maldonado - Not in a million years
Sebastien Buemi - Not if he's against Vettel in the same car
Nico Hulkenburg - That pole lap suggest great things might be ahead
Robert Kubica - If he regains fitness I really don't see why not
Pedro de la Rosa - You must be having a laugh!
Kamui Kobayashi - Can imagine any KK title bash ending in Mansell-esque drama
Sergio Perez - If Ferrari and Sergio both produce what they're capable of - yes
Daniel Ricciardo - There is every chance he could reach the top
Nico Rosberg - If he gets a good car - yes
Paul di Resta - I don't think he's quite good enough
Jaime Alguersuari - Like Moose, not if he has to beat Vettel in the same car
Romain Grosjean - Not if he has to beat Raikkonen in the same car
Vitantonio Liuzzi - That particular goose is cooked
Mark Webber - If he leaves Red Bull and his new team are dominant it could happen, but can't help feeling 2010 was his chance.
Timo Glock - Classic midfield, it won't happen.
Adrian Sutil - He's not popular or highly-rated enough to get a top drive, nor is he ruthless enough when he gets a sniff.
Jarno Trulli - I'd write him off winning a raffle in future. Especially if the power steering is playing up.
Heikki Kovalainen - If he finds himself in a dominant car with a rubbish team-mate, possibly.
Charles Pic - Hasn't pulled up trees in GP2
Van der Garde - As above
Robert Wickens - About time we had a Canadian hope!

 

[Bushi]

All possible champs. But i don't wanna see Grosjean win it, cause he's a dick.

 

[jez101]

Nico Rosberg is the one I was toying with, he could end up in a top drive, but I don't see him beating Vettel, Hamilton or Alonso in the same team, and that leaves him hoping for a very favourable combination of circumstances.

You don't think Ross Brawn has another title in him? It not easy for me to see anyone coming in, leapfrogging Nico and winning a title when Brawn does get it right again.

 

[RasputinLives]

lol - straight and to the point Bushi! I don't know much about the guy - care to tell us what made you come to that conclusion?

 

[jez101]

Jarno Trulli - I'd write him off winning a raffle in future. Especially if the power steering is playing up.

 

[Bushi]

lol - straight and to the point Bushi! I don't know much about the guy - care to tell us what made you come to that conclusion?

Well in GP2 in 2009 he crashed himself and i think it was Perez out of a race. After the crash 'Perez' came to Grosjean to ask what happened, why he crashed them both out. Grosjean said in response: "Who are you?"

 

[Slyboogy]

To be honest, it's too hard to predict. Perez and di Resta seem steady yet I wouldn't call them spectacular, add in Hulkenberg aswell. I would need another season or two to evaluate these guys, but I am not convinced, however they are the likely candidates by many to be tipped to be World Champions. Same goes for the Toro Rosso boys, I think Vergne could be a champion, Ricciardo just reminds of Bruno Senna for some reason, not sure he will be a Champion.

There's only two drivers out of that list that I think can be World Champions, and two of them have a BIG 'if' on their names.

Robert Kubica - Unlucky not to have landed a top drive in the 2009 silly season, how great would it have been to see him in a McLaren? Had a great season, became Number 1 for Ferrari's list, then his accident happened. We all now wait whether he could return to F1, I think he will, but the big question is, "Will he be anything like his old self?"

The other is:

Sebastien Buemi - Aye am biased, what ye gonna dae?

 

[Enja]

Kubica is the only one I'd trust (pre injury of course) to win a WDC if you put him in a Red Bull.

The rest, eh. It's hard to tell.

I think Perez has a shot because he has a tonne of cash behind him and has links to Ferrari. Ferrari like cash. I'm not really sure he's all that he's cracked up to be, a bit like how I perceive di Resta. Sure, they're competent.. but did they really do anything out of the ordinary this year? I don't think so.

Don't get all the Ricciardo hype - I have this nagging feeling a Red Bull PR has tricked the likes of the BBC into believing he's the "next big thing", which can only explain his ridiculous amount of airtime on that particular broadcaster for a guy who was competing for 23rd/24th and nothing more than a footnote on the 2011 season.

I'd love to see Koba win (obviously) but he has the odds against him for a couple of reasons. Mind you he has proven people wrong before, even if they don't care to admit it.

Webber's had his chance and proved that he doesn't have the mental ability to make up for his lack of talent when compared to Vettel.

Hulkenberg, eh, same thing as di Resta and Perez really - glimpses of something but I don't recall him being particularly good in 2010 bar a rather lucky pole position in Brazil.

The ones that haven't driven yet - no idea.

You didn't mention Felipe Nasr though. I'd keep an eye on him...

 

[landogeorgelewis1]

Also - look out for James Calado, he was awesome in GP3 this season and next year he's driving for Lotus ART in the GP2 series. Check some of his overtakes out and you'll see this kid has talent.

On a side note would personally be over the moon to see Paul Di Resta have a chance of winning the WDC.

 

[Slyboogy]

Slyboogy is also coming up and through the ranks, sponsored by HRT's young driver programme, rumoured to be going to Toro Rosso to partner his idol Buemi/Moose .

 

[landogeorgelewis1]

Slyboogy is also coming up and through the ranks, sponsored by HRT's young driver programme, rumoured to be going to Toro Rosso to partner his idol Buemi/Moose .

, you wish more like .

 

[Slyboogy]

, you wish more like .

You are not in line for the Coach position then .