The Cockpit

The Cockpit
d r i v e r s

Jacques Villeneuve - The Site 1

Winfield Williams Mecachrome, Age: 25, Country: Canada, GPs: 21, Wins: 6

First GP: Australia '96 (Williams-Renault)

Comment: The winner of the indianapolis 500 in 1995, he is attempting to win the world title in just his second season. Runner-up last year to Damon Hill, the dashing Canadian has been in brilliant form in testing and is the Albert Park track record holder. Championship favorite. World Champion in 1997

Heinz-Harald Frentzen 2

Winfield Williams Mecachrome, Age: 29, Country: Germany, GPs: 52, Wins: 1 (San Marino 1997)

First GP: Brazil '94 (Sauber-Mercedes)

Comment: Record does not reflect the reputation he built as a fast team mate to Michael Schumacher in the Mercedes sportscar team. Under pressure to justify his position ahead of the dismissed Damon Hill but is highly rated by team boss Frank Williams. He had a great start in Austalia, almost winning his first Grand Prix.

Michael Schumacher (Motorcity)(Deva) 3

Marlboro Ferrari-Ferrari, Age: 28, Country: Germany, GPs: 89, Wins: 22

First GP: Belgium '91 (Jordan-Ford)

Comment: A winner since his days as German karting and formula three champion. Won back-to-back world titles with Benetton before switching to Ferrari for record $25 million plus deal. Won three races last year but claims car is still not fast enough for his third title.

Eddie Irvine 4

Marlboro Ferrari-Ferrari, Age: 31, Country: Ireland, GPs: 52, Best result: Second (Argentina '97)

First GP: Japan '93 (Jordan-Hart)

Comment: Happy-go-lucky Irishman who finished a brilliant third in Ferrari debut in Australia last year. In 1997 he was less lucky at the season start. Contract says he must play a support role to Schumacher but if the german stops, Irvine is capable of racing with the best.

Giancarlo Fisichella 5

Benson & Hedges Jordan-Peugeot, Age: 23, Country: Italy, GPs: 12, Best result: 4th (San Marino 1997)

First GP: Australia '96 (Minardi-Ford)

Comment: Made his GP debut at Albert Park with the under-funded Minardi team last year. On the way to winning the Italian F3 championship in 1994, he won 10 races and his raw talent edged him in front of veteran Nigel Mansell for this sought-after chance at Jordan.

Alexander Wurz 6

Mild Seven Benetton-Renault, Age: xx, Country: Austria, GPs: x, Wins: 0

First GP:

Comment: ..

Mika Hakkinen 7

West McLaren-Mercedes Benz, Age: 28, Country: Finland, GPs: 83, Best result: Second (twice)

First GP: America '91 (Lotus-Judd)

Comment: McLaren have gone three seasons without a victory and Hakkinen is now in his fifth year and under pressure to perform. Once touted as the Finnish driver most likely to follow in the footsteps of world champion Keke Rosberg.

David Coulthard 8

West McLaren-Mercedes Benz, Age: 25, Country: Scotland, GPs: 45, Wins: 2

First GP: Spain '94 (Williams-Renault)

Comment: Stepped bravely into the Williams team and performed impressively following Ayrton Senna's death in 1994. McLaren cannot win the title this year so the battle between Coultard and Hakkinen for superiority within the team for future contracts will be worth watching. Although he had a fantastic suprise win in Melbourne with McLaren.

Damon Hill 9

Danka Arrows-Yamaha, Age: 36, Country: England, GPs: 71, Wins: 21

First GP: England '92 (Brabham-Judd)

Comment: Sacked in controversial circumstances by the Williams team even before the end of last season. The defending world champion faces a huge challenge to retain the title with the lowly rated Arrows team which has not won a race in 19 years. Moves to Jordan in 1998

Ralf Schumacher 10

Benson & Hedges Jordan-Peugeot, Age: 21, Country: Germany, GPs: 4, Best result: 3th (Argentina '97)

First GP: Australia '97 (Jordan-Peugeot)

Comment: The junior member of the Schumacher clan who will be having his first formula one start in Melbourne. Won the Japanese F3000 championship last year but this is a huge step up in class and very much a steep learning curve.

Olivier Panis 11

Gauloises Blondes Prost Mugen-Honda, Age: 30, Country: France, GPs: 53, Wins: 1

First GP: Brazil '94 (Ligier-Renault)

Comment: Crash in Canadian GP, but hope to return later this season.
Impressed with dashing wet-weather performance to win Monaco GP last year, his first and only victory. Mugen-Honda engine is stronf and Panis appears to have the confidence to move up another gear with fast pre-season test times. Can be a suprise with Bridgestone tyres.

Jarno Trulli 12

Gauloises Blondes Prost Mugen-Honda, Age: 22, Country: Italy, Wins: 0, GPs: 4, Previous career: Formula 3

First GP: Australia '97 (Minardi-Hart)

Comment: Replaced Panis after Canadian GP.
Rookie making his first GP appearance in Melbourne. Won the German F3 series last year, which suggests he can drive a bit. A kid on the way up who tested with Benetton last year.

Jean Alesi 14

Mild Seven Benetton-Renault, Age: 32, Country: France, GPs: 122, Wins: 1

First GP: France '89 (Tyrrell-Ford)

Comment: A dismal strike rate for a driver of such speed. Remains the great French hope for championship honors but must eliminate mistakes like last year's inexcusable rear end collision with Irvine's Ferrari in the Melbourne race. Does he know what pitsstops are for? The unofficial fan club.

Johnny Herbert 15

Red Bull Sauber-Ferrari, Age: 32, Country: England, GPs: 100, Wins: 2

First GP: Brazil '89 (Benetton-Ford)

Comment: Now in second season with the mid-field Sauber team, which has been boosted by arrival of Ferrari engines. His two wins came as team mate to Michael Schumacher at Benetton in 1995.

Pedro Diniz 16

Danka Arrows-Yamaha Age: 26, Country: Brazil, GPs: 37, Best result: Sixth (twice)

First GP: Brazil '95 (Forti-Ford)

Comment: No pole positions and no wins and unlikely to change that record this season. Brazilian rich kid who showed a little promise with Ligier last year but is not regarded as a serious contender at this level.

Mika Salo 17

PIAA Tyrell-Ford, Age: 30, Country: Finland, GPs: 39, Best result: Fifth (four times)

First GP: Japan '94 (Lotus-Mugen/Honda)

Comment: Ever since he was second to Mika Hakkinen in the 1990 British F3 championship Salo has been rated as one of the coming men of formula one. But time is running and perhaps he needs a car that will do his talent justice.

New Mika Salo Site: The unofficial Mika Salo Site This site was Microsoft's Today's Link on January 22, 1997

Rubens Barrichello 18

HSBC Stewart-Ford, Age: 24, Country: Brazil, GPs: 68, Best result: Second

First GP: South Africa '93 (Jordan-Hart)

Comment: Has reinvented his career by switching from an unhappy stint at Jordan to Jackie Stewart's new team. Brazil's hope in post-Senna period.

Jan Magnussen 19

HSBC Stewart-Ford, Age: 23, Country: Denmark, GPs: 5, Best result: Tenth

First GP: Pacific '95 (McLaren-Mercedes)

Comment: Melbourne was be his second GP start after a one-off outing with McLaren in Japan two years ago. Stewart rates him a better F3 driver than Ayrton Senna. If new car is reliable he could be rookie of year.

Toranosuke Takagi 20

PIAA Tyrrell-Ford, Age: 24, Country: Japan, GPs: 0, Best result:

First GP: Australia '98 (Tyrrell-Ford)

Comment: Toranosuke began his motor racing career in 1986, at the age of 12, with SL kart racing. The following year, he finished 8th in the All Japan National Kart A2 series. Two years later, he won the Championship.

Shinji Nakano 22

Gauloises Blondes Prost Mugen-Honda, Age: 25, Country: Japan, GPs: 4, Previous career: Formula 3

First GP: Australia '97 (Prost-Mugen Honda)

Comment: A rookie with few credentials except Japanese F3 to compete at this level. Will struggle in this company. Very popular in Japan.

Gerhard Berger out

Mild Seven Benetton-Renault, Age: 37, Country: Austria, GPs: 200, Wins: 9

First GP: Austria '84 (ATS-Ford)

Comment: Veteran Austrian is the oldest driver in the field and he's been everywhere. Stints with Arrows, Benetton (twice) Ferrari (twice) and McLaren have failed to produce a championship. This year may be his last chance.

Gianni Morbidelli out

Red Bull Sauber-Ferrari, Age: 29, Country: Italy, GPs: 77, Best result: Third (1995 Australian GP, Arrows)

Morbidelli was this year's Ferrari test driver, but changed placess with Larini starting from the Spanish GP.

Nicola Larini out

Red Bull Sauber-Ferrari, Age: 32, Country: Italy, GPs: 48, Best result: Second

First GP: Spain '87 (Coloni-Ford)

Comment: Once a Ferrari test driver who did four races for the red team in 1994. Under-rated and will give nothing away to his higher profile English team mate. Replaced after Monaco GP by Morbidelli. Will be Ferrari test driver again in 1997.

Jos Verstappen out

PIAA Tyrrell-Ford, Age: 24, Country: Holland, GPs: 35, Best result: Third (twice)

First GP: Brazil '94 (Benetton-Ford)

Comment: This team has great pedigree but has not performed up to expectations in recent years. Verstappen is one of the bright young men of formula one who appears only to need the right chassis-engine combination to become a front-runner, as long as he can stay 'between the white lines on the black thing'.

Ukyo Katayama out

Mild Seven Minardi-Hart, Age: 33, Country: Japan, GPs: 82, Best result: Fifth (twice)

First GP: South Africa '92 (Larrousse-Lamborghini)

Comment: Paid his way at Tyrrell and now doing the same with Japanese tobacco money at Minardi. Call the police if he wins.

Riccardo Rosset out

MasterCard Lola-Ford, Age: 28, Country: Brazil, GPs: 16, Best result: Eighth

First GP: Australia '96 (Arrows-Hart)

Comment: Untested at this level and prospects appear dismal in the untried Lola with outdated Ford engine.

Vincenzo Sospiri out

MasterCard Lola-Ford, Age: 30, Country: Italy, GPs: 0, Previous career: European F3000

First GP: Australia '97 (Lola-Ford)

Comment: Another rookie with impressive European credentials, including success in F3000. Formerly test driver with Benetton.

Alain Prost

Comment: Who is this man with a crooked nose? He is the most successful driver ever in history. He is a four-time F1 World Champion (and damn near other four times!). He won a record 51 Grands Prix, made a record 41 fastest laps, gained a record 798.5 championship points. He's called the Professor thanks to his unique driving style. He drives with his head. He never pushes over the limit but gets the very best out of his car. He promotes sport safety. (He did it long before tragedies happened, when the ignorant called him coward...) And now he got his own F1 team running. He's the Professor, no less. Contents: Professor Tips, News and "old news" on Alain Prost and his GP team, Fans Contact Point, Personal Profile of Alain Prost, Racing statistics of Alain Prost.

Ayrton Senna da Silva

GP Career: Drivers World Championship:3 Grand Prix Wins:41 Pole Positions:65

Web sites:: Senna Statistics Site **; Tribute to Senna; The 'Official' Ayrton Senna homepage; DonJanus Senna Page **; The S Files **; Ayrton Senna Memorial; Remembering Ayrton Senna ***

Quotes by Senna:: Sometimes I try to beat other people's achievements but on many occasions I find it's better to beat my own achievements. That can give me more satisfaction. I don't feel happy if I am comfortable. Something inside me pushes me when I get comfortable. It makes me go farther and I want to keep pushing.; These things bring you to reality as to how fragile you are; at the same moment you are doing something that nobody else is able to do. The same moment that you are seen as the best, the fastest and somebody that cannot be touched, you are enormously fragile. Because in a split second, it's gone. These two extremes are feelings that you don't get every day. These are all things which contribute to - how can I say? - knowing yourself deeper and deeper. These are the things that keep me going.; If I ever happen to have an accident that eventually costs me my life, I hope it is in one go. I would not like to be in a wheelchair. I would not like to be in a hospital suffering from whatever injury it was. If I am going to live, I want to live fully. Very intensely, because I am an intense person. It would ruin my life if I had to live partially. [M O R E]

Martin Brundle

Nelson Piquet WC

Nigel Mansell WC

Gilles Villeneuve

Pedro Lamy

Taki Inoue

Tarso Marques

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