Breakout drivers of the 2013 season

They don’t hog the headlines much like their front-running peers do but they show their skills frequently proving that they quite deservedly stand their chance in the fast lane. Here are the breakout drivers for the 2013 season who are expected to move a step further to glory come 2014.

Jules Bianchi

Jules Bianchi finished the season without a point but his performance in Malaysia helped Marussia stay ahead of Caterham at the end of the season.

He was a last minute signing and a replacement for Luiz Razia(who was discarded as the funding arrangement failed). But Jules Bianchi defied all the odds to emerge as one of the breakout drivers for 2013. The rookie surprised many in his debut year as he finished the year on the back of some really impressive performances outshining his fellow teammate and rookie Max Chilton. His 13th place in Malaysia was the key in securing Marussia 10th place in the Constructor’s Championship, the best result for the team in their short history and helped them stay ahead of their arch rivals Caterham.

Unfortunately for the 24-year old Frenchman, the second-half of the season wasn’t really a cake-walk as he faced stiff resistance from his teammate and both the Caterhams but the hardwork in the early part of the season was enough to keep him ahead of his peers by the end of the season. Though Bianchi failed to score a point, unlike fellow rookie’s, he earned respect from all corners for his mature drive and getting the maximum out of the Marussia. Bianchi, who is a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy, will be a driver to watchout for in 2014 as Marussia switch to Ferrari powered engine’s for the new season.

Esteban Gutierrez

Esteban Gutierrez showed flashes of brilliance in the Sauber during 2013 but missed out on opportunities unlike his teammate Hulkenberg.

2013 was a steep learning curve for the Mexican driver. The year didn’t start off well as the rookie struggled to find form in the Sauber amid a financial struggle faced by the Swiss team. But as things started to look up after the Russian funding came through, Gutierrez too found some sublime form, much like his accomplished teammate Nico Hulkenberg ,coupled with the mid-season tyre changes that helped the Sauber gain stability on the track. His best finish was a seventh place in Japan earning him the six points that aided him in finishing the year as the rookie with the highest points. But the Gutierrez will have to prove himself after showing flashes of brilliance but in the end failing to capitalize on some of them. A confirmed drive with Sauber for 2014, however, will do the young driver’s confidence a world of good as he remains a driver with a bright future in Formula One.

Valtteri Bottas

Valtteri Bottas out-performed his experienced teammate to finish an impressive season though he has a challenging 2014 ahead of him.

The Finnish driver finished the season with four points after his eighth place finish at the US GP. That performance helped him stay ahead of his more fiery outgoing teammate Pastor Maldonado. That’s not the only place where Bottas beat his teammate. He out-qualified the Venezuelan driver by 12-7 with a third place in qualifying in Canada an achievement for the rookie. A former GP3 winner, Bottas managed to keep it steady and bring home the Williams in 17 races with just two retirements in Hungary and the season ending race in Brazil an achievement for a driver in his debut season. This despite the Williams FW35 struggling for pace. 2014 would be challenging one yet another learning experience as Bottas would drive along-side veteran driver Felipe Massa but much of it would depend on the package delivered by Williams.

Daniel Ricciardo

Daniel Ricciardo improved in the Toro-Rosso that also helped him to secure a seat along-side Sebastian Vettel for 2014.

Sebastian Vettel‘s new teammate for 2014 had a decent outing in 2013 as he bettered his performance in the Toro-Rosso from 2012. The 24 year-old Australian was extremely fast as he qualified 9 times in the top-10 with a best qualification of fifth at Silverstone. He finished with 20 points in the table, a jump of 10 points from the last season and had finished 18th, ahead of his teammate Jean Eric Vergne who finished with 13 points. Ricciardo has an opportunity to showcase his talent with the upgrade to a faster car but it would also depend on how Red-Bull supports the youngster given that they have focused heavily on their star driver.