Top 100 F1 Drivers: 60-56

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victory at Le Mans, but it was in vain as the Mercedes car suffered two dangerous flips during the event and had to be withdrawn.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!