F3 Top 10 2004 - What is yours?

[Gaz]

So then, the Formula 3 season is done and dusted (bar the Bahrain meeting) so who would be your top 10 Formula 3 drivers of 2004 across the board and why?

I'll start things off with mine -

1. Jamie Green - Has to be top of the list after his sensational Euroseries season. Dominated throughout showing both speed and consistency and has a huge future ahead of him. He had the best car/team yes but he still made it work for him..and still beat off two very rapid team mates in the process.

2. James Rossiter - Said it before and I'll say it again, Rossi is the find of the season in the UK. Tremendous rookie year, adapted superbly quick and took the game too two much more experienced drivers. In the end his inexperince shone through but for a bit of luck he could have been 04 champ.

3. Adam Carroll - Excellent effort by Adam. Came back time and time again when it seemed all was lost. Needs to sort qualifying out but his racecraft is second to none. Has all the attributes a real racer needs, is superb to watch and would be an asset to any team further up the ladders of racing. Here's hoping he can find the budget or get the opportunities he deserves for 2005.

4. Alexandre Premat - Showed he had speed and won superbly at Macau and Zandvoort. Needs to calm it down slightly but the speed is definetely there, the rough edges just need sanding down. Probably the best Frenchman around (bar Montagny) at this moment in time and should go far.

5. Nelson Piquet Jnr - Did what was expected of him and won the title despite having a difficult start to the season. Is this high up in my list for the fact he won the title alone, I still feel he is overated and his attitude might not help him as he moves inevitably higher up the ladder.

6. Danny Watts - Great job by Danny in the sole Lola. Awesome win at Castle Combe and a great drive at Macau up until his unfortunate incident at Lesboa. Another driver who deserves a chance further up the ladder and I hope he can get the budget together for a shot at World Series or GP2 in 2005. Should have been included also in the BAR shoot out last week, its a travesty he wasn't.

7. Lewis Hamilton - Great rookie year for young Lewis. Many people need to remember it is Lewis' rookie year and Manor first year in Euro F3. Up against ASM they where always going to struggle but he was often best of the rest and won superbly at Norisring. Showed just how good he is at Macau and it was a shame he couldn't win the race overall. Still, he shut some of his doubters up and in an ASM seat next year should be a cert for the 2005 title.

8. Nicolas Lapierre - Was always up against it competiting against ASM and the factory Mercedes power. Drove well and won superbly on several occasions. Found the rough and tumble of the UK series not to his liking at Spa but a tremendously rapid driver who could go far if he can get the right breaks.

9. Eric Salignon - Excellent come back from Eric. Disaster season in the UK in 03 could have destroyed him but he came back in 04 and did a superb job. Doesn't quite have the exceptional pace of the Jamie Green's of this world but is still an excellent performer. A shame about his road crash as he certainly would have finished runner-up.

10. Lucas Di Grassi - Did a great job in his rookie Brit F3 year in my opinion. Renault/Sodemo powered cars struggled in the UK this year and I think this masked just how good Di Grassi drove slightly. Superb double at Thruxton was deserved and if he returns next year in a better powered car he could be a title favourite.

[Kicking-back]

Good to see you keep up the bias, Gaz!

Rating Carroll's season higher than Piquet's!

The points table does not lie

[Gaz]

Neither does the fact that Piquet's budget was twice the size of Carroll's

Piquet's average, ask Christian Horner. If you look at his season, again he only competed well at the circuits that he'd competed well at in 2003. The circuits he struggled at in 03 he again struggled at in 04. Not a clear sign of improvement that is it? If Adam Carroll or James Rossiter had just been slightly more consistent Mr Piquet would have been left red-faced.

We'll see on him, but I'm confident when he makes it to F1, and he will, that he'll turn out not to be all he's hyped up to be!

[Kicking-back]

Originally posted by Gaz
If Adam Carroll or James Rossiter had just been slightly more consistent Mr Piquet would have been left red-faced.

If piff....

If they were more consistent...

But they weren't!

[Gaz]

But neither had 4 years of F3 racing under their belts. In fact one hadn't even got a year! Both have more potential than Mr Piquet ever will.

We'll see with him...I'm confident that, that smug, little, arrogant personality of his will be shattered when he gets in the big boys world! He isn't good enough..period!

[bella]

actually, i think we've had this discussion before. in terms of racing f3 experience, carroll and piquet both have similar levels of experience. rossiter has less racing experience than both of those two have in f3 alone.

[flexible-flyer]

well considering im the biggest carroll nut on the board some may find it strange that i would vote piquet ahead of adam but honestly, budget aside and everything, i think piquet showed he was number one.
in a season that i consider to be the best f3 grid, driver talent wise (bf3 i mean), piquet won the title very convincingly. sure, rossiter, whilst having arguably the best car (i say arguably because his teammate didnt seem to be up to much) was still a catagory rookie and carrolls early season spoilt it. and there was even a stage in the season despite being top of the table, carroll wasnt even sure he would be on the grid for the next race. but piquet had his fair share too. piquet may have had more stability but boy when you look at those end results and also take into consideration that he also had his off moments, its a pretty brilliant performance. as for the other f3 series, well mercedes + money = guaranteed success which is why, although i rate the likes of jamie green, lewis hamilton etc etc very highly, i wouldnt have them touch the top 3 elsewhere.

1- piquet. he still has off days but thats just like critising a rookie for making a rookie error. he is a teenager in a strange country, leave it.
2- carroll. i think his final placings are an injustice to his talent. i really think carroll performed brilliantly over the course of the season. and 90% of his bad luck wasnt his fault.
3- rossiter. i always knew he would do well. i think he was the most consistant driver in bf3
4- green. he wouldnt have been so dominant if he was sat back in his carlin driving round snetterton and the like. or p1, or piquet sports. 4th on my list doesnt mean he is **** though!
5- hamilton. he is very focussed and stuff. good on street tracks and doesnt crack under pressure like his fellow teen- piquet
6- di grassi. cant wait to see this chap grow up. and in a reversal of my jealousy of well budgeted drivers, aslong as he has those renault overalls, i will get to see him grow up. i thought dirani would have beaten him like in sudam.
7- danny watts. i think the lola dome at the start of 2004 was 20 times better than it was at the start of 2003 and therefore you cant really say that he was in an underpowered machine without taking into consideration that he was in the best one, but that aside i think he did himself many favours this year. he looks an allround great bloke and he can drive too.
8- nico rosberg. did better than i expected him to do this year. i think he deserves his place in the top ten
9- nic lapierre. drove well all year. did his best. i think he is a solid talent better than many of his rivals
10- alex premat. wouldnt have been on the radar if it wasnt for his blue ribband appeal. i mean come on, jamie green is a great driver but you have to do better than that. but this is a top ten and therefore i reckon he is the 10th best driver in a great year of f3 talent so obviously the big events. elsewhere he was solid in his f3 ferrari.

didnt watch any other f3 series this year. de olivera should have walked to the japanese title if people think he is that good.

[mcurtis26]

1. Green
2. Rossiter
3. Premat
4. Piquet
5. Carroll
6. Salignon
7. Watts
8. Hamilton
9. Quintarelli
10.Parente

[mcurtis26]

There's no way I could have put anybody other than Green at 1. Rossiter was very impressive for his rookie year. I would have put Piquet higher but for his expereience of the category, funds etc. Salignon did well to come back from a difficult Brit F3 year. Watts was impressive especially as he's the only lola.

[Emma]

1. Piquet
2. Carrroll
3. Dirani
4. Di Grassi
5. Parente
6. Lewis (as in Ryan Lewis)
7. Rossiter
8. Asmer
9. vd Garde
10. Green

[mcurtis26]

How do you get vd Garde and Asmer ahead of Green?

[Emma]

Because I'm not fond of Jamie Green...
besides, I don't watch euroseries, so I needed someone to fill up my top 10

[bella]

that's emma's top 10 of pretty boys then

i still need to have a think about my top 10. will give me something to do at work tomorrow i suppose

[Daisy]

1. Jamie Green
Was the favourite, but dominating the strongest F3 championship on the way he did, was very impressive

2. James Rossiter
3. Nelson Piquet Jr
4. Adam Carroll
5. Alexandre Premat
6. Franck Perera
7. Nico Rosberg
8. Nicolas Lapierre
9. Toni Vilander
10. Ronnie Quintarelli

I'm a Euroseries fan more than a British fan, but I liked the battle between Piquet, Carroll and Rossi a lot.

[Turbo_Era]

Originally posted by Gaz
Neither does the fact that Piquet's budget was twice the size of Carroll's

Piquet's average, ask Christian Horner.

Christian's thoughts reflect much more a "NO" he's got from Piquet Sr than Nelsinho's ability.

[flexible-flyer]

im sorry but anyone who thinks the euroseries was a stronger field than british series needs a rethink......and i dont think thats just my opinion either. i honestly beleive that all those drivers together in that motorracing fans dream of equality for a day and british f3s 2004 drivers would come out way ahead. bar, say the top 4 or 5 euro guys. really!

[littleman]

1.Green - quick,consistent,intelligent & relaxed
2.Carroll - great car control & very confident
3.Hamilton - naturally gifted,can only get better
4.Piquet - Unbeatable on his day,but a little fragile
5.Premat - Masters & Macau victories says alot
6.Rosberg - Fast,smooth & stylish
7.Lapierre - The complete F3 driver,just needed a Merc
8.Watts - Natural born racer,just needed a Dallara!
9.Rossiter - Bright,astute & confident.Will improve too
10.Kubica - Better than he looked at Mucke.At ASM?

[strider]

Originally posted by bella
that's emma's top 10 of pretty boys then

i still need to have a think about my top 10. will give me something to do at work tomorrow i suppose

So will that be one list or two, or a combination of both? [sorry, felt I had to put something other than a wink in there.]

PS Emma's list must have caused wide-spread disappointment amongst all the drivers who have been mentioned during the season, but are not now rated!

[Emma]

Originally posted by flexible-flyer
im sorry but anyone who thinks the euroseries was a stronger field than british series needs a rethink......and i dont think thats just my opinion either. i honestly beleive that all those drivers together in that motorracing fans dream of equality for a day and british f3s 2004 drivers would come out way ahead. bar, say the top 4 or 5 euro guys. really!

I'm agreeing here.

[climb]

1.Green
2.Premat
3.Piquet
4.Hamilton
5.Carroll
6.Rossiter
7.Perera
8.Quintarelli
9.Rosberg
10.Watts

[Daisy]

Originally posted by flexible-flyer
im sorry but anyone who thinks the euroseries was a stronger field than british series needs a rethink......and i dont think thats just my opinion either. i honestly beleive that all those drivers together in that motorracing fans dream of equality for a day and british f3s 2004 drivers would come out way ahead. bar, say the top 4 or 5 euro guys. really!

I cannot agree on this. Piquet, Carroll and Rossiter are top quality drivers, but behind that, I have my doubts. Behind those three, maybe Watts and Dirani I think can be succesfull, Di Grassi is doubtfull but Piccione, Parente, Asmer and Power, are nothing special. Parente for example, he was nowhere in Euro F3, scored, I think, 1 point, while Doornbos had a few podiumfinishes in the same car! And in British F3 he suddenly was in front.

In EuroF3 I rate Green, Premat, Salignon, Lapierre, Rosberg and Hamilton all on the same level as the first 3 drivers and Kubica, vd Garde, Perera, Sprengler and Duval are all drivers with some potential. And I cannot wait to see Vettel racing in Euro F3 next, he's thé upcoming talent. I definately hope the British F3 grid will be stronger than it was this year.

[bella]

i think it's very difficult to compare the series and put both lots of f3 drivers together. british f3 still seems to have some emphasis on the driver, whereas f3euroseries is such a big manufacturer thing that i think there's less of an influence a decent driver can have. i think i might do a top 5 from both series, rather than compare two sets of uncomparable drivers.

[mcurtis26]

I'm always uncomfortable about heavy manufacturer involvement in a series...its good in the short term, but in the longer term over dependancy on the manufacturers can cause serious problems if there is a pull out.

British F3 has been a good season, with most drivers capable of winning if they have a good day...i've found them more entertaining to watch than the euroseries.

For someone who isnt anything special, Will Power's times in the Minardi test have been pretty impressive

[bella]

ok, so they'll be running the minardi about 100kilos underweight then

i personally think britishf3 is more likely to survive than the euroseries, because it doesn't have manufacturers meddling, throwing money at it then threatening to run away.

[Kicking-back]

Euroseries = House of Cards