Sauber F1

F1 driver Kamui Kobayashi has signed a deal with BMW-Sauber to extend his contract into 2011. The Japanese driver started his first full season with the Swiss-based team this year after impressing for Toyota last year in the last two Grand Prix in Brazil and Abu Dhabi while deputising for Timo Glock.

Kobayashi started his career in Formula Toyota in 2003, before moving to Europe to compete in Formula Renault and Formula Three. After moving to GP2 in 2008, he spent two seasons there before completing the season in a Formula One car for Toyota, finishing ninth in the Brazilian Grand Prix after qualifying 11th and putting in a very competitive performance. He then scored his first F1 points by finishing sixth after qualifying 12th, leading to a contract with Sauber after Toyota left the sport.

After retiring in the first four races this season, he finished 12th in Spain, but then retired once again in Monaco. His first points of the season came in Turkey where he finished 10th, before hitting the Wall of Champions and retiring in Canada. He managed to finish the rest of the races so far, scoring 21 points from 13 races and lying 12th in the table.

Next season Sauber may be likely to field a more competitive car that may be able to challenge for podiums, and possibly even race wins. Until then, Kobayashi says he will be "focusing 100% on this year" and "hoping to make up more ground."

The other seat in the Sauber team, currently occupied by Spanish veteran Pedro de la Rosa who has scored six points this season, has not yet been confirmed.

Sauber's rising star Kamui Kobayashi was arguably the driver of the day in Valencia. 
He jumped upon a opportunistic safety car period and took hold of an unexpected third position. He held this place throughout most of the Grand Prix.

What highlighted his potential in this position was the continuing abundance of pace that he portrayed on his first set of tyres. These tyres lasted him almost 50 laps, compared to the rest of the field who had already pitted long before, with many stopping for a fresh set in the aftermath of the Webber-Kovalainen collision.

Kobayashi set himself up with a credible points finish, by emerging from his one and only pit stop in ninth.

This was not the end, however. Two laps from the end, he put a move on Fernando Alonso in the Ferrari and that took some balls.

And he didn't stop there, as into the final corner, he seized upon an overly cautious Sebastien Buemi and rallied past the Toro Rosso driver to steal seventh place.

We were in awe once again of the young and inspiring driver. Such a view had been hard to recollect through much of this season.

We are not alien to the Japanese driver's risk-free attitude. His die-hard spontaneity won him a multitude of fans as he portrayed genuine raw pace in his races at Toyota last year.

Many were despondent, therefore, at his and his teammate Pedro De la Rosa's lack of potential at the returning Sauber team.

Both drivers looked deflated and unable to perform. We could not distinguish the talent from the cars, and it appeared as though this was because the Ferrari-powered machines would not allow it.

Kobayashi must have thought his dreams had come crashing down. De la Rosa must have wondered why a comeback after years as a test driver had seemed such a good idea at the time.

Now though, Kobayashi will be on the hunt for more. He will look to progress from his second points finish, the first based on his own electric performance.

He may have lucked into an early advantage through the safety car, but it took his masterful talents to keep it there.

Should other teams then be looking at the Japanese driver with intrigue? Could some look to fill their future seats with a potential race winner in future years?

Does Kobayashi have what it takes to succeed in this role?

Of course there are many echoes of a driver like Felipe Massa in his career thus far.
Optimistic and often dangerous moves have proved detrimental on some occasions.

Kamui's failure to finish in any of the first four Grand Prix did his cause little good. Immediately, we were lead to believe that Toyota were the only team able to produce something noteworthy from Kobayashi.

Everywhere he went afterwards could just be a soul-destroying disappointment.
Despite his sensational run in Valencia, what is to stop a similar opening sequence of events at a more able team?

What is to halt Kobayashi from burning out in much the same style and to a degree of which he could not recover?

From now it is all going to centre around growth.

If Kobayashi can keep intact the assurance of pace and the ability to overtake that has won him various fans, then he will be a winner.

Matching this with informed and careful decisions may be the deal breaker, however. We do not want a driver who does more harm than good to the sport. At this moment in time Kobayashi can appear a bit of a loose cannon.

When he is on it, he is a scene of excellence. Yet when the rash mistakes creep, in he appears vulnerable and clumsy.

The rest of this season has the ability to elevate his career even further. Various teams have yet to name their drivers for the 2011 season, and unless Kobayashi is given a reason to stay, Sauber may lose his services.

About four years ago, I began to test the waters of professional auto racing. It was something I’d been wanting to do ever since I was a kid. Probably not unlike most teenage boys (and some girls), the thought of throwing a fast car around a race track and competing against like minded individuals seemed overwhelmingly attractive, yet impossible.

At the time, I was already involved in a variety of sports including Track & Field. I excelled at track, but longed to be able to prove what i was already convinced of. That I would make a really good race car driver.

Fast forward to 2005 and a chance meeting with former F1 World Champion, Jacques Villeneuve, with whom I eventually became friends. Our friendship led to a deeper understanding of how to go about setting my racing career into motion, as well as a pretty decent bank of knowledge and contacts.

As of late 2009, I was signed and fully committed to racing in the Canadian Touring car Championship in the Super-Touring class. I had someone to put together a really good website, a well organised, motivated and knowledgeable manager and a group of very supportive friends and family, who were/are all pulling for me to get together a good package for the 2010 season. I'm not down on my luck though, don't get me wrong. If things are tough for Sauber in F1, if JV and Paul Tracy are having similar difficulties (although their financial needs are far higher than mine are)

To run a decent team in the series (aside from the cost of the car) you're looking at 5k to 10k in expenses per race. Given the low cost compared to other race series, everyone was/is hopeful about finding a few good sponsors/partners for the season. As of yet, there are a few media partners like the Team 990 that will be covering my entire season, as well as one secondary sponsor that wants coverage at a couple of the races.

With the season opener two weeks away, we set into motion a different plan this past weekend...so far, response has been pretty good, with PayPal payments coming in from people I don't even know! Here is the pitch:

Your face on a pro race car for just $5.00?!

Yes! Sponsor car #3 in the 2010 Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship (CCTCC)!

Why? For several months, JC Cote has been promoting his upcoming racing season heavily through Facebook... we thought it'd be cool to pay tribute to our friends, friends of friends and Facebook users in general on the car as a shout-out to one of our favourite social networks! We think this could gain some great publicity, too...and you can tell everyone YOU were a part of it!

Photos of the car with your profile pic tagged will be posted to Facebook (on JC Cote's profile). This will include professionally shot photos of the car in action and of JC in his racing gear, posed with the car.

You'll be on the car for the upcoming race on Victoria Day Speedfest Weekend at the Mosport International Raceway, May 22 & 23.

Decal size: 1.5 inches x 1.5 inches

Payment accepted via Paypal and credit card at http://www.jccote.com

Please email the original hi-res image that you use as your profile pic to: april.robinson@coteracing.com

Note: This same opportunity will exist for the below races, too. Just let us know where you want to be seen:

Jul 3/4 – Grand Prix de Mirabel, Circuit ICAR
Jul 16/17/18 - Honda Indy, Toronto
Aug 13/14/15 - Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres
Aug 27/28/29 – Grand Prix of Mosport, Mosport International Raceway
Sept 11/12 – Sundown Weekend, Circuit ICAR, Mirabel

For more info on JC Cote and the CCTCC, visit www.jccote.com

BMW Sauber have been the first team to react to McLaren’s controversial F-Duct, running their own version in Free Practice One at Melbourne.

The device, which stalls the rear wing, therefore creating less drag and a higher top speed, was first run by McLaren in winter testing.

It is said to give up to an extra 10km/h in the straights, leading to many rivals criticising the system, one of which was Renault’s managing director Bob Bell.

“I totally disagree with the FIA’s view on it. It’s fundamentally clear in all the discussions that have taken place over many years that the sport did not want stallable rear wings, whether it was through physical deflection or any other mechanism.” he told the BBC.

“And the fact that somebody has turned up and just driven a cart horse through the spirit of the regulations, the intent of the regulations, and everybody’s understanding, to me is just a complete joke.”

However, the FIA declared the system legal in Bahrain, which has led to all the remaining teams racing to find a similar solution. It may take some time for the other teams to fully perfect their f-ducts though as McLaren reportedly spent between 18 months and two years developing their system.

Sauber’s solution sees the air intake vent on the sidepod, as opposed to the monocoque, where it is located on the McLaren. This has led to speculation about how the vent is controlled, as it is out of reach of the driver.

Unfortunately we were unable to see if the system had any positive effect as both Sauber’s finished the session prematurely. Kamui Kobayashi lost two front wings and ended up in a gravel trap causing two red flags, while Pedro de la Rosa stopped out on track due to technical issues.

Renault’s Robert Kubica topped the time sheets with a time of 1:26.927, two tenths ahead of Nico Rosberg in the Mercedes.

With an increased field of twenty-four, the risk of becoming a nonentity in the world of Formula 1 is greatly enhanced. If you do not show your best hand early on then there may be little room for recognition to come your way later on.

What the opener in Bahrain portrayed was the predictable lack of pace by Lotus, Hispania and Virgin. It also showed the domination at the forefront of the big four: Mercedes, Mclaren, Ferrari and Red Bull. These were expected though, with the bottom three teams looking to close the gap as the season progresses.

So it falls to the teams in the middle, which have the most to lose or gain in credibility. These are the teams who can go either way.

Toro Rosso have fallen straight back into being the weakest paced of the crop of 2009. This again was expected, with both drivers already lacking in support.

Then you have Renault, Force India and Williams who all looked promising in their first race abilities. All three will look to score a few points in upcoming Grand Prix and hope to challenge the big four by the end of the season.

Robert Kubica must have smelled the possible podiums he could seize as he sat right behind the four front teams on the grid.

The poker face held in pre-season testing by the twelfth team however is the one that has come undone.

BMW Sauber failed to flatter their confident whispers of speed and determination before the season got underway, with a display in Bahrain that was instantly forgettable. The teams drivers Pedro De la Rosa and Kamui Kobayashi provided little that was worthy of note.

For two drivers who can both be considered as relatively unknown talents this is definitely worrying.

De La Rosa was rarely afforded a continuing chance in a race seat, despite often showing signs of excellence.

Kobayashi as well gifted us the emergence of a reckless yet vastly quick rookie in his two Grand Prix at Toyota. Much of this was regarded as a revelation from his easier adaptability to the Toyota team and as a result he may have set himself up as nothing more than a flash in the pan.

Compared to other less capable drivers in recent years, both drivers do however deserve more.

Sauber it has to be said have previously portrayed an all to consistent view of a team who could never fulfil early promise. More often than not they just fell backwards throughout seasons. Consequentially they never brought themselves fearsome competitive status. Other teams expected to eventually overtake them.

So after the lack of performance in event number one, Sauber now need to subvert previous history by forcing themselves up the field. They are given the requirement of affording their drivers a more deserving machine that will allow both De la Rosa and Kobayashi to take more ownership of their results.

Constant midfield positions out of the points after all could do much harm to their future seasons.

For De la Rosa these chances will already be less forthcoming due to his age, but for Kobayashi, in being young in his career his first full season is essentially going to be one of his most important. Teams will not take on a driver year after year if his first season was just decidedly average.

His financial rewards may therefore provide an alternative attraction for teams to take him on, something that the Formula 1 neutral does not appreciate.

It may just be that De la Rosa and Kobayashi only need to adapt themselves to the car in a way that edges out the optimum performance. Yet if the team can work well in their quest to gain at least points finishes then they will improve more than others as the season moves along.

A good poker face is essentially one that can conclude in actual productivity. It should never be one that can only mask the depressing failures of the player in every game.
Therefore the return of Sauber in not being fruitful, could spell the end of the outfit once more.

Being regarded as a midfield and average driver can at times be taxing on the continuation of a career that you seek to gain.

For some it spells the end of an era in Formula 1 that affords little chance of a return.
Recent drivers such as Anthony Davidson and Nick Heidfeld have felt the cold hand of rejection, due to ongoing perceived mediocrity. Subsequently they found themselves minus drives for further seasons.

This year though sees the return of one such driver, and a driver who many still know little about.

Pedro De La Rosa will take to the 2010 season in the BMW Sauber team with new rookie talent Kumai Kobayashi to accompany his return.

The Spanish driver first emerged into the sport in 1999, gaining a superb debut points finish in his first race down under.

Sadly for him however his two years at Arrows yielded little else, with just two other points finishes that would come to him.

This could have been a more substantial tally if certain events hadn't gone his way.
What many do forget here is that he was in the running for a podium in Austria in 2000, before a gearbox failure halted a momentously consistent drive behind the dominating Mclaren’s. He then followed this up by a beautiful qualifying performance in Germany which led to his third sixth place finish and the third positioned finish of his young career.

His move to Jaguar in the next season devastatingly didn't help his cause though. Although the Spaniard was never deemed a lacklustre or appalling driver, he just didn't have any performances that warranted a high level of praise.

At the end of his fourth season in the sport he had succeeded in achieving only six world championship points.

And so he fell into a position that most un-influential drivers fall into. He became a test driver for Mclaren in 2003 and would only compete in one race until the end of 2005 ; replacing a sidelined Montoya in the 2005 Bahrani Grand Prix.

This was to be a turning point in his career as a confident display, coupled with a fifth placed finish allowed him a chance to compete on a regular basis in the following season, when a dissatisfied Montoya left for Nascar.

In eight Grand Prix he managed to pick up points in five of the races, and featured heavily in the Hungarian Grand Prix where he claimed his best result to date by coming home in second to Jenson Button.

People began to take note of the previously uninspiring yet polished driver. Whispers were uttered of his similarities to drivers such as Alexander Wurz who were also wasted by Formula 1 and its teams.

If it had not been for the speculation surrounding the wonder boy Lewis Hamilton, De La Rosa probably would have continued his promising comeback with a permanent seat in 2007. But alas it was not to be and he faded back into his test driver status.

What the conclusion of the 2006 season showed however was that here was a driver capable of causing upset, and capable of subverting the form book.

Although not as glorious a driver as the likes of Alonso and Hamilton, De La Rosa had proved with some credible performances at Arrows and at Mclaren, that he was a talented driver who could force more than the average amount out of his car.

He just needed a continuous chance to prove himself before it was too late. Before he reached the age where he could not compete at the required level.

The 2010 season is now his chance. It may indeed be his final chance.

It is his opportunity to shine in a way that we have seen glimpses of before. It is his opportunity to bow out of what could have been an illustrious career, with a season or two of consistent positive performances that question those who would not bestow upon him a first team drive.

When compared to the likes of Liuzzi and Piquet Jr who received more than their fair share of the spotlight, it is nice to see a driver vastly more able given a new chance to reaffirm his credentials.  

Having a ballshy team mate like Kobayashi will indeed be a challenge. Pedro will need to keep his eyes on the prize if he is to overcome his quick paced team rival.

As it stands they look very equal as the first practice sessions got underway. It will now remain to be seen if this equality will extend further into qualifying and race day sessions.

Yet as long as De La Rosa can increase his points tally, with podiums being an added mouth watering possibility, then we will know that he was and is a driver who whilst not the best, is able to achieve a more accomplished portrayal of ability than we were lead to believe.

This forgotten underdog is therefore back in the game, and ready to show that the lack of acquisition for first team drives was a mistake for those unwilling to take him on.

His Sauber machine looked powerful in pre-season testing. So the thirty-nine year old behind the wheel is ready to seize the bull by the horns and once again drive for his life.

Nick Heidfeld may not have managed to bag a drive in the season’s forthcoming Formula One Championship, but fans of his man bag will be pleased to hear that it has turned up to the season opening Bahrain Grand Prix.

Heidfeld’s leather bag has gained a cult following over the past few years, with the German rarely being photographed without the trademark brown murse (man-purse). It has become firm favourite on F1 forums and blogs, and even has its own youtube video dedicated to it.

One forum member claimed that “I think it's safe to say this is what we've really been waiting to see, not the actual racing”. Another speculated at what the bag contained. “What do you thinks in that bag? Small motor bike replica, neck brace and his Merc driver’s contract?”

Although Heidfeld was unable to secure a drive for the 2010 season, he has gained a spot as Mercedes GP’s test driver, meaning that he will now travel to the majority, if not all of the season’s Grand Prix.

It may not be an ideal position, but Nick says he is very happy to have found employment with such a prestigious team.

“I am very pleased to be joining the Mercedes GP Petronas Formula One Team. It’s the team which has attracted the most interest in the close season, not only because of the comeback of Michael Schumacher, but also because this season sees the return of the Silver Arrows cars as a Mercedes-Benz works team for the first time in over fifty years.”

“Whilst I would of course have preferred a seat as an active driver, I am really proud to be part of the new Silver Arrows team. I have seen how committed everyone at the team is and I feel the same. I will be doing my very best to support Michael and Nico this year.”

Heidfeld’s change of team has also prompted a change of colour in his man bag. With the Silver Arrows colour scheme of the new Mercedes challenger firmly in mind, his new bag is a light grey as supposed to the old brown bag. Unfortunately his beard has yet to find the same popularity.

The last two seasons for Robert Kubica have seen two halves. Going from a celebrated hero to an unappealing zero, his career was forced into jeopardy.

The exit of BMW left him and teammate Nick Heidfeld under a cloud of doubt. Would their careers be sustained amongst the various emerging talents within the sport after a season of turmoil?  

Kubica proved more successful than his former teammate, as Renault snapped him up relatively quickly after last season.

Then there was the crash-gate controversy that put immense pressure on Renault and their future prospects. Kubica’s position on the 2010 grid was again thrust into doubt. He was left with a decision to stay with what could have been a sinking ship, or to look elsewhere with the limited availability of seats left to be taken.

With Renault’s disastrous 2009 season saved by the world-class talent of Fernando Alonso, few would have thought it a poor decision if Kubica had chosen to run from the fiasco. Yet he has remained faithful to the team amidst their acquisition by Genii Capital, and now looks ahead to the 2010 season.

So as the circus heads effortlessly around the world, will the Polish driver fare well in a season that promises to be almost as unpredictable as the previous one, with new teams included and with new rules to adhere to? Or will he continue on the depressing decline evidently begun towards the end of the 2008 season?

His Former Reputation

When 2008 began, most expected a continued dominance by Ferrari and McLaren to provide the focal point of the action. Yet BMW gladly provided a spanner in the works, as their vastly improved cars were executed beautifully by their two drivers.

While Heidfeld had looked the strongest in previous seasons, it was Kubica who came into his own. A run of consecutive points and podium finishes elevated his reputation.

This culminated with a lucky, but deserved, victory in the Canadian Grand Prix, brushing aside any concerns over the Pole after his terrific smash in the same race one year earlier.

He was the epitome of a talented driver, forcing the best pace and highest capability from the machinery beneath him. If it hadn't been for the team's ill-fated decision to begin work early on its 2009 car, the Pole may have actually halted Lewis Hamilton’s debut driver's title.

No one would have questioned this, even if his triumph in Canada could not be accompanied with further wins. A driver who was not in the strongest team could, after all, earn a great amount of respect in consistently outperforming his car and displaying the most revelatory showing of talent throughout the season.

As the season came to a climax there were already mutterings of a champion in waiting, much in the same vein that Sebastien Vettel would be considered the following year.

The Lost Treasure

The wheels on Kubica’s aspirations, though well and true, came off within 12 months. As it became clear in the first half of the 2009 season, the BMW had provided little for Kubica and Heidfeld to work with, as they struggled in attempts for possible points finishes.

A follow-up victory seemed a miracle away.

But although they improved towards the end of the season, the team's cowardly decision to quit the sport left both of their drivers' careers in tatters. For those who had supported Kubica, they were given a faltering hero who could not adapt to difficult conditions.

After racing more consistently than Heidfeld the year before, he was out-performed by his teammate more often than not on race weekends. He reflected other drivers such as Jenson Button and Jacques Villeneuve who, when on top, were flawless, but as soon as their chips were down, were on the back foot. Any driver in this predicament was deemed too vulnerable to be regarded as above the rest of the pack.

Kubica was becoming a forgotten talent. The thoughts of an impending title challenge fell as quickly as they had been brought on, and most saw his position within the sport as newly difficult. He faced the possibility of being considered as just another average driver amongst a field that featured better talents.

The New Season

As he heads into the new season and a new team, however, the Pole is afforded the opportunity of being the clear No. 1 driver. After years of having a teammate far too similar in pace and ability, he has the chance to stamp his authority in the Renault team and push their campaign ahead.

This is, of course, if he can revert back to the talented and consistent driver that we all fell for and became inspired by two years ago.

Much of this possibility might depend greatly on the capabilities of the 2010 Renault. Although, if Kubica wants us to reestablish our early optimism for him, he will need to produce a string of stunning displays that does not require the car to will him on.

He needs to be a passionate driver. "Out-performance," therefore, is the key word and one that the driver must epitomise. We know that he can do it, as we have witnessed his brilliance previously.

If a driver in decades to come wants to be considered as a sporting great, then we must see that he can be a sporting great in any team that he may drive for.

There is an element of sadness in the current feeling that Kubica may never add to the solitary victory he achieved in Canada.

With McLaren, Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull reportedly occupying the top four positions comfortably, the Pole’s main aim this year will be to regain some of the exposure that he found himself engulfed in at BMW.

Podiums and various points finishes will help him improve his credentials and could do much to gift him more promising drives in future years. If he were to find himself in a team built upon solid foundations and raw speed he could in return be afforded more realistic chances of individual glory.  

Failure to accomplish much this season could definitely leave him in the abyss, as seen with Nick Heidfeld’s relegation from a first-team driver. Even those who are willing and able are not safe in the sport's current climate.

So to avoid such a consequence to another lacklustre season it is hopeful that Kubica will combat this with the determination and spirit that seemed entwined into him in the aftermath of his life-threatening accident.

With the opportunity to gradually claw himself back into the spotlight, he can reaffirm our opinions that he is a talent who we should all take note of.

So show us what you've got again, Robert Kubica, and show us why we must still wish success upon you.

The FIA have released the final and full Formula 1 entry list for the 2010, with some noticeable changes from the previous version.

As expected US F1 are not able to enter a team this season and are omitted from the list. The FIA have also confirmed that they will not be offering the vacant slot to Serbian outfit Stefan GP. The FIA stated:

"Having considered the various options, the FIA confirms that it is not possible for a replacement team to be entered for the Championship at this late stage."

"In the coming days the FIA will announce details of a new selection process to identify candidates to fill any vacancies existing at the start of the 2011 season."

It is now likely that the Campos team will make the first race, but under a different guise. They will now be officially known as HRT F1 (Hispania Racing Team) after Adrian Campos recently sold his stake in the team to Jose Ramon Carabante.

However, the Sauber team have retained the official name BMW Sauber. The reason for this has been cited as the FIA naming regulations. Yet the Campos team seemed to have little problem changing, neither did Mercedes.

This gives us the rather odd prospect of having a BMW car powered by a Ferrari engine. One has to wonder what the boys at Munich will make of that.

The only thing to be confirmed over the coming week is the identity of the second HRT driver. Speculation is that GP2 driver Karun Chandhok has already bagged this role, making him only the second Indian F1 driver ever, but we will have to wait to see for certain.

The full 2010 Formula 1 entry list:

2010 seems to be the year of old drivers returning. Michael Schumacher, Pedro de la Rosa, and possibly Jacques Villeneuve will all return to the sport this season. Co- incidentally, all three made their last racing appearances in 2006, but how successful will they be after several years out of Formula One?

There have been many other drivers who have returned to F1 with mixed levels of success throughout the history of the sport. Therefore, it is worth looking to see how they coped with coming back to get an idea of how the drivers in 2010 will do.

Luca Badoer

Last F1 Race: 1999. Returned: 2009

Poor old Badoer. He finally achieved his dream of driving a Ferrari 10 years after his last grand prix, and it happened to be the worst one since 1993. In-season testing had also been banned, so there was no chance that this was ever going to be a success.

After qualifying and finishing at the back in Valencia and Belgium, he was replaced by Giancarlo Fisichella, who in fairness to Luca wasn't much better. Those two races means that Badoer has competed in 50 races without scoring a single point—not really a record to be proud of.

Alexander Wurz

Last F1 Race: 2000. Returned: 2005 (1 race), 2007 (season)

Wurz had a promising start to his career, but found himself without a drive in 2001. It wouldn't be until Juan Pablo Montoya's injury in early 2005 that Wurz would get another race. And it couldn't have gone much better, with a solid third place at San Marino after the B.A.R's were disqualified.

His next comeback would be in 2007, driving a full season for Williams. Despite another podium at Canada and two other points finishes, he was often out-paced by team-mate Nico Rosberg, and retired from the sport before the final race. Overall, his return to F1 wasn't bad, but it was nothing special.

Nigel Mansell

Last F1 Race: 1992. Returned: 1994/1995

After "retiring" from the sport in 1990 and in 1992, Mansell came back for a few races with Williams during the 1994 season. After a shaky start, Mansell's battle with Jean Alesi towards the end of the Japanese GP showed he could still race competitively. Pole position and the win in Australia capped a decent comeback.

Nigel was sure that Williams would keep him for 1995, but instead the team hired a young David Coulthard. Mansell instead went to McLaren for a disastrous two races, before finally calling it a day. He had been in Formula One since 1980, and there was still rumours of him driving a Jordan in 1996. It seemed like he was never going to leave.

Alain Prost

Last F1 Race: 1991. Returned: 1993

Ferrari weren't too pleased with Alain's performance in 1991, and he was sacked before the final race of the year. Prost had described the Ferrari as a 'truck', and the Italian team were a bit unhappy about this.

Prost had a year off in 1992, before moving to Williams in 1993. It was to be another year contesting his rivalry with Ayrton Senna, and Prost managed to claim the championship at the Portuguese GP. After this season, Prost retired from F1 for good. You couldn't ask for much more of a comeback than that.

Niki Lauda

Last F1 Race: 1979. Returned: 1982-85

Retiring from Formula One as a two-time world champion would suit most people, but Lauda came back a few years later for another stint in the sport. In probably what is the most successful comeback so far, along with Prost's, Niki managed to claim another championship in 1984.

As well as a title, there was eight race wins and 128 points during this four-year period with McLaren. Considering he was nearly burnt to death several years before, these are some quite impressive statistics.

Some of the others

There have been many other drivers that have made comebacks after long periods out of the sport. Jan Lammers, Tarso Marques, and Nicola Larini just to name a few have all returned after some years away: Lammers in fact having the longest gap between two races from 1982 to 1992.

Alain Prost and Niki Lauda showed that it is possible to be successful after a few years out of Formula 1, and Luca Badoer has shown it is possible to be useless. It should be interesting to see how Schumacher and de la Rosa do alongside their much younger team-mates. Should Stefan GP see the light of day, Villeneuve should get another crack at the sport as well.

And you never know, maybe some more old drivers will come along in 2011. Mika Hakkinen? Gerhard Berger? Yuji Ide? Who knows.