60.
Nick Heidfeld (Germany) 183 Starts, 0 Race Wins, 153.2 F-Points
"Quick
Nick" is our last entry who never reached the top step of the podium in
Formula One. However, his consistency and ability to shine in underperforming
cars made him a respected member of the paddock for years, and he still holds
the record for the most consecutive race finishes. Heidfeld began his career in
karting aged 11, and six years later moved into German Formula Ford. It was
there that his star began to rise, as he took victory in eight of the nine races
that season, and quickly worked his way through the German divisions before
entering the international Formula 3000 series in 1998.
That
year, a debacle at the final race cost Heidfeld the Formula 3000 title, which
instead went to Juan Pablo Montoya. However, his performances had already
caught the interest of the Formula One world, and Heidfeld had become the
official test driver for McLaren during the season. The following year Heidfeld
concentrated his efforts on victory at Le Mans, but it was in vain as the
Mercedes car suffered two dangerous flips during the event and had to be
withdrawn.
Heidfeld
made his inevitable move into F1 with Prost in 2000, but it proved to be a
completely fruitless year in an uncompetitive car. The German decided not to
hang about, and signed for Sauber the following year. He immediately settled
into his new team, scoring points on his Sauber debut at Australia, and
snatching an unlikely podium at the third race of the season in Brazil after
surviving the torrential weather.
2001
was a strong year for Heidfeld, who finished eighth in the Championship above
his teammate Kimi Raikkonen. Despite this, when Hakkinen retired from Formula
One it was Raikkonen who was picked to replace the Flying Finn for 2002. Having
missed out on this opportunity, Heidfeld elected to stay at Sauber for the
following two seasons, during which he continued to show consistent form but
failed to drag the car to any further podium finishes. Having been beaten in
the Driver's Championship by Heinz-Harald Frentzen in 2003, Sauber dropped
Heidfeld and it seemed likely he would be without a seat the following year.
Nevertheless,
Heidfeld continued to battle for another chance, and a string of impressive
tests with the Jordan team led to his place in the team for 2004. The Jordan
car was hugely off the pace, and Heidfeld could only pick up three points that
season, but was able to grab the attention of the Williams team who signed him
up for 2005 after some further testing.
2005
was arguably one of Heidfeld's most impressive years. He was able to score a
third-place finish at Malaysia, before coming second at both Monaco and Europe.
At Monaco, Heidfeld led home a Williams 2-3 alongside his teammate Mark Webber,
and at Europe Heidfeld scored his first and only pole position before a slow
start caused him to lose out on his lead into the first corner. Heidfeld missed
out on the last five races of the season due to a testing accident in Italy,
which was followed up by a road traffic collision a few weeks later.
BMW
set up their own team in 2006 and, due to their links with Heidfeld and
Williams, were able to secure his signature for 2006. Heidfeld scored
reasonable points for the majority of the season, but was able to take third
place at a crazy Hungarian Grand Prix. With the arrival of young talent Robert
Kubica at the team, Heidfeld regained himself for the 2007 season and the two
were a dominant force in the Championship. The German managed to score points
in every race he finished, except for the Japanese Grand Prix. In the midst of
all this, Heidfeld ran a close second in a chaotic Canadian Grand Prix, and
took third in Hungary for the second season running. A fifth place finish in
the Championship would prove to be Heidfeld's best.
At
the beginning of 2008, hopes were high that BMW could convert their improving
form into race victories. Heidfeld came close again at the opening race of the
season when he took second in Australia, but it was to be his teammate Kubica
who would break BMW's duck. The Pole passed Heidfeld to lead home in a 1-2
finish for the team, leaving Heidfeld visibly disappointed that he was unable
to do the job for the team himself. BMW abandoned development on the car after
their maiden victory, but Heidfeld still managed to finish second two more
times in 2008 - once in Britain and again in Belgium.
2009
was to be a disaster for BMW. Heidfeld sneaked a second-place at Malaysia in a
rain-wrecked Grand Prix, but following that result the car was one of the worst
on the grid. The team announced their intentions to withdraw from the sport at
the end of the year, and it seemed that Heidfeld was heading for the exit in
F1. At the start of 2010, Heidfeld was appointed by Pirelli to test the
company's tyres, but towards the end of the year he was offered a place back in
the Sauber team for the final few races. Despite a couple of points finishes,
Sauber decided not to keep hold of him for 2011.
A
final twist of fate would give Heidfeld one last opportunity in F1. Robert
Kubica suffered a horrendous accident in another series, and Lotus decided to
sign Heidfeld to replace him for the season. The German got off to a good
start, finishing third at his second race in Malaysia. However, Heidfeld never
replicated this performance and parted company with Renault midway through the
season.
Heidfeld
now competes in endurance racing, and came fourth in last year's Le Mans 24
Hours race.
59.
Jarno Trulli (Italy) 253 Starts, 1 Race Win, 170.2 F-Points
Jarno
Trulli enjoyed one of the longest careers in F1 on record, spanning 14 years
and 6 different teams. He was destined for Formula One having started karting
as a young boy, and winning titles in the sport at every level. He was drafted
into German Formula Three in 1996, where he won six races and sailed home to the
title. Despite only having one full year of racing experience in cars, Trulli
was offered the Minardi seat for 1997.
At
Minardi, Trulli quickly began to stand out and when Olivier Panis broke his
legs while driving for Prost halfway through the season, Trulli made the move
into the French team straight away. He continued to impress with a fourth-place
finish in Germany, and briefly held the lead in the Austrian Grand Prix before
retiring.
Prost
retained Trulli for the following two seasons, but a lack of results left
Trulli frustrated. His rise had been so rapid that a sudden tough patch made
his relationship with the team difficult, but Trulli was able to manage a
superb second-place finish in the 1999 European Grand Prix, the last podium
Prost's Formula One outfit would achieve.
Trulli
moved to Jordan in 2000 and was able to compete with a greater level of
consistency than with his previous teams. The Italian managed some remarkable
qualifying performances, but was unable to capitalise with any podiums. After a
second season at Jordan, Trulli looked for another breath of fresh air and
moved to Renault.
Results
remained similar in 2002, but with a sparkling new talent in the team named
Fernando Alonso, Renault moved into 2003 with renewed vigour. Trulli put
together a string of impressive finishes including a third-place at Germany,
but he was largely overshadowed by his teammate Alonso, who outscored him in
the Championship and took a race victory that year.
While
2003 had been a good season for Trulli, he was determined not to be beaten by
Alonso again in 2004. The first half of the season went the Italian's way, as
he took points in nine out of the first ten races. Included in this was a
podium at Spain, and Trulli's first and only race victory. Having taken his
first pole position the previous day, Trulli led a race peppered with safety
car stints for almost every lap. Despite a late charge by Button, Trulli had
secured a famous victory, and it was a moment he never topped.
However,
Trulli's relationship with Renault broke down. The Italian felt that the team
were favouring Alonso, and things clearly worsened as Trulli was sacked three
races before the end of the season. He was swiftly picked up by Toyota for the
final two races of 2004, and he stayed on the following season.
Trulli's
first full season for Toyota was one of his most impressive. He claimed the
team's first podium finish with second place at Malaysia, and clinched the same
result two weeks later at Bahrain. Trulli scored another podium at Spain, and
was unlucky to miss out on the controversial 2005 US Grand Prix having secured
pole position the day before. Trulli finished 2005 in 7th in the Driver's
Championship.
In
2006 and 2007, neither Trulli or the Toyota car were completely up to scratch,
and both years were mostly spent in midfield obscurity. Things started to
improve in 2008 when Trulli was able to score points more regularly, with the
icing on the cake coming in the form of a podium at the French Grand Prix.
Trulli comfortably outscored his teammate Kazuki Nakajima, and in 2009 was
virtually carrying the team as the Japanese driver failed to score any points.
On the contrary, Trulli took third in Australia, third in Bahrain having
started on pole, and a close second in Japan to take eighth in the Driver's Championship.
Trulli's
temper got him into minor trouble at the end of the 2009 season after an
altercation with Adrian Sutil when the two had collided, but worse was to come
for the Italian as Toyota withdrew from F1. Trulli decided to take a seat with
the newly-formed Lotus outfit, a team which had no hopes of scoring points that
year. Trulli was regularly outperformed by his teammate Heikki Kovalainen in
2010, and that continued into 2011. He was replaced by Vitaly Petrov for 2012,
and hasn't returned to Formula One since.
58.
Thierry Boutsen (Belgium) 163 Starts, 3 Race Wins, 172.2 F-Points
The
first of two Belgians in this list, Boutsen began his career by attending the Pilette
Racing School in Zolder. Having switched from engineering to racing, Boutsen
won the 1978 Formula Ford championship having taken victory in 15 out of the 18
races that year. Promotions to Formula 3 and Formula 2 quickly followed, and it
seemed nothing would stop the Belgian from reaching Formula One.
Nevertheless,
an unfortunate cloud descended upon his career in 1981. While competing in the
Le Mans 24 Hours race, Boutsen suffered an enormous accident and the debris from
the crash killed a marshal. Boutsen continued in Formula Two for 1982 for the
Spirit-Honda team alongside Stefan Johansson. The two tested the F1 prototype,
and eventually Johansson was given the nod to join the F1 team ahead of
Boutsen.
Boutsen
started to lean towards touring cars in 1983, competing in the European series.
However, when the opportunity arose the Belgian paid $500,000 to see out the
season in Formula One with the Arrows team. He was able to score some solid
finishes for the underperforming team and was retained for the 1984 season,
signalling that Boutsen had finally made his breakthrough into the sport.
With
some fortune from other drivers retiring, Boutsen managed to take his first
career points at the opening race of the 1984 season in Brazil. He had a decent year, comfortably outscoring
his teammate Marc Surer in a season disrupted by a change in engine suppliers
for the Arrows team. Boutsen continued on into 1985, and got his first
significant result when he finished in second at the San Marino Grand Prix.
Though it was largely down to many drivers running out of fuel in the final few
laps, Boutsen had proven that he had the composure to hold onto an important
position, and after one more barren season for Arrows he found himself in the
Benetton team.
At
Benetton, Boutsen began to build a reputation for himself as a smooth,
consistent driver with bags of ability. Though the Benetton was not fast enough
to win races, Boutsen was able to bring points home on a regular basis when the
car was up to it. His first season at the team in 1987 saw him score his second
podium of his career when he took third at Adelaide after Ayrton Senna's
disqualification. Then in 1988, Boutsen took five podiums to finish an
excellent fourth in the Drivers' Championship.
Boutsen's
performances caught the attention of Frank Williams, and with Nigel Mansell
transferring to Ferrari, a seat became available in Williams' team. At first,
Boutsen found life difficult in the Williams and was being outscored by his
teammate Riccardo Patrese. However, tides turned at the Canadian Grand Prix
when the Belgian took full advantage of Ayrton Senna's late engine failure to
win his first Formula One Grand Prix and provide his team with a superb 1-2
finish.
Boutsen
regained his form following his maiden victory, and took three further podiums
during the season before winning his second Grand Prix at the final race of the
season in Adelaide. The circuit had been hit by a huge rainstorm, and before
the race a number of the drivers, including Boutsen, had protested that it
should not go ahead. However, their arguments fell short and an incident-packed
event went ahead, with Boutsen coming out on top in a hectic race.
Though
Boutsen had been narrowly beaten for points by Patrese, he had done a good job
at Williams and was retained for the 1990 season. Boutsen enjoyed a more
consistent year, scoring points every time he could drag the car to the finish
line. As well as this, the Belgian scored two podiums and achieved his third
and final victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix. It was a near-perfect
performance from Boutsen, who took pole position and led the entire race. This
time, it was Boutsen who had outscored Patrese, but when Williams were given
the opportunity to re-sign Nigel Mansell, it was Boutsen who got the chop.
Boutsen's
career never got going after that. He moved to Ligier in 1991, but the car was
poor and he was very outspoken about how disappointed he was with the team.
This continued into 1992, after which Ligier decided to let Boutsen go. He then
spent half of 1993 with Jordan, but another fruitless campaign saw him and the
team come to a mutual decision to make the Belgian Grand Prix his last in F1.
Boutsen
continued to race, entering Le Mans every year following his F1 exit. He came
second in 1993, and repeated that feat in 1996. However, an accident in the
1999 event fractured Boutsen's vertebrae, and he was forced to retire from
racing for good. Now, Thierry Boutsen runs a company that sells business jets,
and co-owns a racing team with his brother-in-law.
57.
Patrick Depailler (France) 95 Starts, 2 Race Wins, 177 F-Points
Patrick
Depailler's career was relatively short, but before the tragic end to his story
he was able to demonstrate how much ability he truly had. Having switched his
plans from becoming a dental technician to entering the world of motorsport,
Depailler was spotted very early on by Jean-Pierre Beltoise, who recognised him
as a strong talent. This became important for Depailler's career as he was
drafted for militart service in 1963. Having missed a year it could have been
difficult to find a seat in motorsport again, but Beltoise helped him find a
deal to race in the Coupe des Provinces series.
Money
remained a difficult issue for Depailler and he struggled to move up in the
world of motorsport despite winning races in the Coupe des Provinces and
generally impressing the paddock. He decided to sign up for the Winfield School
of Motorsport in 1966 and, using this as an opportunity to compete for the
Volant Shell, Depailler was able to secure a deal with Alpine to race in F3.
Depailler
raced in F3 until 1971, where he was able to win the title. This led to a move
to Formula Two in 1972, and with Tyrrell's F1 scouts keeping a close eye on the
Frenchman, Depailler was offered the privilege of a couple of F1 starts during
the year. However, it wasn't until 1973 that he began to make a serious climb
into the world of F1. Depailler was due to take part in the final two races of
the 1973 F1 season, but broke his leg in a motorcycle accident days before.
Despite this setback, Tyrrell had two spaces in their team for 1974 following
the death of Francois Cevert and the retirement of Jackie Stewart, so gave one
of their spots to Depailler.
Depailler
had an impressive debut season in F1 and made for a solid number two to his
teammate, eventual world champion Jody Scheckter. The Frenchman was able to
take regular hauls of points home, and crowned his year with a superb
performance at the Swedish Grand Prix where he took pole position and finished
second to complete a Tyrrell 1-2.
Though
it was a good debut year in most respects, Depailler may have been alarmed by
how much better Scheckter had done in the same car. In 1975, things were closer
between the two, but with an unfortunate dip in overall performance from the team.
Depailler was able to clinch his second podium finish at the South African
Grand Prix, but could only take ninth in the Drivers' Championship.
The
car was made far more competitive ahead of the 1976 season, and Depailler consequently
enjoyed a dramatic improvement in his own performances. He was able to take
second behind Niki Lauda at the opening race in Brazil, and that set the tone
for the year. Depailler went on to score podiums at the United States West,
Monaco, Swedish, French, Canadian and Japanese Grands Prix, but could not
convert any of these into his first race victory. Even so, it had been a superb
season for Depailler, who had come close to matching Sheckter once more and had
finished fourth in the Drivers' Championship. The only blot on his campaign had
been an incident in which the Frenchman had taken out James Hunt, drawing
Hunt's fury.
Scheckter
left Tyrrell at the end of the 1976 season, and Depailler was paired with the
well-respected Ronnie Peterson for 1977. The car was back to its old ways
however, and neither driver was able get it to the finish line particularly
often. Despite the problems the car had, Depailler was able to take another
three podiums that year, including a second place in Canada where he was
narrowly beaten by Jody Scheckter. While it had been a difficult year, the
Frenchman had outperformed his illustrious teammate and went into 1978 with
hope that he could finally break his duck and get his first Grand Prix victory.
After
kicking off 1978 with another podium, Depailler found himself in the lead of
the South African Grand Prix with just a few laps to go. Though the Frenchman
could almost see the chequered flag ahead of him, he was passed on the final
lap by Ronnie Peterson, who was now driving for Lotus, and agonisingly missed
out on victory once more. Nonetheless, there was a renewed sense of confidence
in Depailler, who battled from 12th on the grid to another podium in the
following race and finally managed to take his maiden win at the Monaco Grand
Prix. The Frenchman watched others make mistakes in front of him, and was able
to stay cool and triumph in the perfect setting.
After
winning at Monaco, Depailler topped the Drivers' Championship. However,
unreliability spoiled the rest of his season and he could only manage one
further podium in 1978. The Frenchman decided to end his five-year stay at
Tyrrell and transferred to Ligier, a team with big ambitions. Depailler's
teammate, fellow countryman Jacques Laffite, took victory in the first two
races, thereby proving the potential the car had. Depailler soon followed suit,
taking a lights-to-flag victory at the Spanish Grand Prix that put him
joint-top of the Drivers' Championship. It looked like it would be a promising
season for Depailler.
Fate
then intervened, as Depailler broke both his legs in a hang-gliding accident. He
was unable to return for the rest of the season, and was therefore dropped by
Ligier altogether. It was thoroughly disappointing for Depailler, but he was
determined to return and signed for the newly-formed Alfa Romeo team for 1980.
His recovery was not complete, as he was still driving in pain and brakes were
created especially to help strengthen his leg muscles, but Depailler was still
able to demonstrate how quick the car was by placing it in third on the grid
for the United States West Grand Prix. Reliability remained a problem for the
team though, as the team only managed three finishes in their first eight races.
While
testing for the 1980 German Grand Prix, Depailler's Alfa Romeo suffered a
suspension failure that threw the car into the Armco barrier, killing
Depailler. He was 35.
56.
Gilles Villeneuve (Canada) 67 Starts, 6 Race Wins, 181.3 F-Points
Now,
before you shut the page off in absolute disgust at the temerity of placing
someone with the talent of Gilles Villeneuve in 56th place, please remember
that this is a list based on results alone and not ability. There is no denying
that Villeneuve was one of the most extraordinary drivers in Formula One
history, but having his career cut short unfortunately makes his career another
tale of 'what could have been'. Still, in his short time as an F1 driver,
Villeneuve wowed the sport and his legacy remains to this day.
Gilles
Villeneuve spent his formative years interested in music, but a passion for
automobiles quickly settled in and when he was 15, his father bought him a $100
sports car. Gilles spent a long time stripping the car and getting used to the
mechanics of the vehicle, and managed to tune it so it became road-legal. After
finishing school, he began drag-racing, before money difficulties meant that
snowmobile racing was the only type of motorsport he could pursue.
Villeneuve
made a success of himself in snowmobile racing, and so signed up to the Jim
Russell Racing school to earn himself a racing license. Following this, he
entered the regional Formula Ford championship in Quebec, and won the title in
his first attempt. This gave him the opportunity to drive in the Formula
Atlantic series, but it was an expensive drive. In order to afford it, he drew
on the support of his family, who sold their house to pay for the seat and
instead lived in a camper van. His first season in Formula Atlantic was a
disappointing one, and midway through 1974 Villeneuve suffered a crash that
broke his leg. The Canadian persisted with his dream, and things began to
improve in 1975 when he started winning race.
For
money, Villeneuve continued to borrow from his success in snowmobile racing,
with occasional appearances earning him extra money, and sponsors from his
snowmobile days helping him along also. Despite the exhaustive effort required
to stay in motorsport, it was beginning to pay dividends for Villeneuve as he
won all but one race in the 1976 Formula Atlantic championship, taking the
Canadian and US titles. After winning the Canadian championship once more in
1977, Formula One began knocking on Villeneuve's door.
In
an event at Trois-Rivieres, Villeneuve did battle with world champion James
Hunt, and was able to come out on top. Hunt returned to the McLaren team and
informed Ron Dennis about Villeneuve's potential, which led to him being signed
up as a third driver for the 1977 season. It would only be good for one Grand
Prix, as Villeneuve took part in the race at Silverstone, qualifying in ninth
and finishing eleventh. The performance alone was enough to alert the attention
of Ferrari, who signed him up just before the end of the season. Villeneuve
took part in the final two races of the year after Lauda quit the team having
already won the title. Unfortunately, the second of those races ended when
Villeneuve collided with Ronnie Peterson, and the ensuing crash killed two
spectators. No blame was apportioned to either driver, and Villeneuve continued
with Ferrari into the 1978 season.
Villeneuve
had a torrid start to the 1978 season, mostly due to the car struggling with
its tyres. Retirements in four of the first five races did not make it easy for
Villeneuve, who demonstrated some of his raw pace when he qualified in second
for the Long Beach Grand Prix. Ferrari fans had yet to warm to the Canadian,
but things began to improve. Villeneuve took his first points in Belgium, and
followed this up with his first podium in Austria. Finally, Villeneuve capped
the season with victory at the final race of the year, his home Grand Prix.
Villeneuve battled ahead of Jody Scheckter and stayed firm to take a meaningful
victory at the circuit which would later be named after him.
Villeneuve
had truly arrived for the 1979 season, in which he was to enjoy his most
fruitful season. Ferrari had provided him and his new teammate Jody Scheckter with
the best car on the grid, and the two dominated the season. Villeneuve took his
second race victory at the South African Grand Prix, before following it up
with another win in Long Beach (despite a somewhat embarrassing gaffe where he
missed his starting position and caused confusion for everyone). One of the
most iconic races of Villeneuve's career was the 1979 French Grand Prix, in
which Villeneuve spent the last few laps frantically battling with Rene Arnoux
for second position. Villeneuve narrowly won the breathtaking fight that would
live long in the memories of Formula One fans.
Villeneuve
was very much in the hunt for the title in 1979, but misfortune played its part
in ending his hopes prematurely. One notable incident was when his tyre
exploded at the Dutch Grand Prix, in which Villeneuve showed his determination
and willingness by driving a full lap on just two wheels. However, with three
races to go Villeneuve conceded the title by refusing to challenge his teammate
Scheckter for victory at the Italian Grand Prix, allowing the South African to
take the championship. Villeneuve stood on the top step of the podium once more
in 1979, taking the chequered flag at the United States Grand Prix.
Villeneuve
went into the 1980 as hot favourite to win the title, but the Ferrari simply
wasn't up to it. Both Villeneuve and Scheckter suffered disastrous seasons with
few points between them, and Scheckter announced his retirement at the end of
the year. Villeneuve stuck with Scuderia though, and in 1981 the team improved
their package and teamed the Canadian up with Didier Pironi. Villeneuve took
two race victories during the year, with the first being at Monaco and the
second at Spain. The latter tested all of Villeneuve's defensive skills, as he
led a train of faster cars behind him for the majority of the race. After a
long and difficult afternoon, he was able to take victory with a margin of just
0.22 seconds.
Though
things had been better in 1981, Ferrari still weren't able to reproduce the standards
they had set in 1979. There was more hope in 1982 when the car seemed a lot
faster, despite retirements and a disqualification in the first few races. A
large boycott from rival teams prior to the San Marino Grand Prix gave Ferrari
a massive opportunity to take their first win of the season, and it seemed that
Villeneuve would do the job as he led ahead of his teammate Pironi during the
closing stages of the race. Ferrari asked both drivers to slow down, but Pironi
overtook Villeneuve with a few laps to go. Villeneuve presumed it was all for
show, and retook the lead before Pironi cut in front of him again on the final
lap. The Frenchman took the chequered flag with an absolutely furious
Villeneuve in second place.
The
row that ensued resulted in Villeneuve refusing to ever talk to Pironi again.
In qualifying for the next race in Belgium, Villeneuve hit the back of Jochen
Mass' car while trying to go past, hurling the car into the air and throwing
Villeneuve out of his seat and into the catch fencing. He was taken to
hospital, but pronounced dead from his injuries later that evening. He was 32.
Gilles
Villeneuve left behind a huge legacy, and remains one of the most legendary
figures in motorsport. The Villeneuve name was carried on through his son
Jacques, who went on to win the Formula One World Championship in 1997, as well
as the 1995 Indy 500.
One final note: Nico Rosberg's race victory this weekend meant that he moved up to 64th place in the standings. Keep an eye out for the next installment of this series!
