Who do you see as a future world champion?

[MPWRS62]

As the title says which driver(s) do you reckon are capable of becoming a world champion, i reckon Nico Hulkenburg has the skill given a couple more years.

[EDLT]

Vettel, again.

[TheHeretic]

This is difficult. It is hard to judge drivers really far down the pack purely because the cars are so crap, (relatively speaking). Agree with Hulk. He seems to have a little bit extra. I thought Algesuari looked good in the TR but he seems to be out of the picture now.

[Henry Fiddleton]

Bianci, the Hulk.

[JPBailey]

Out of those drivers who are currently in F1 and don't have a title to their names, I would be putting money on Soft Hands Sutil or Riciardo as future World Champions.

[Centurion07]

Susie Wolff

[CampDavid]

Hulkenburg has a fair chance.

Perez - he has the opportunity in that McLaren should be right up the sharp end next year.

Webber could still do it this year.

Bianchi has a lot of talent.

Someone like Rosburg could turn it on, you never know, who saw Button stepping up....

[BlackpoolRock]

Maybe early days yet but Bianchi is certainly a driver who I would put money on if (when) he gets a top seat. He's also not doing any favours for Max's career. Considering Max had a full winter test in the car too and Jules jumped in last min and he's still managing to blow his team mate away.

[TheArchitect]

Hulkenberg,
Bianchi,
Grosjean,
Maldonado,
Bottas,
DiResta,

I order of most likely to less likely. DiResta has dropped quite quickly in my estimations annoyingly. The Torro Rosso boys i just cant tell how good they are I think Ricciardo is slightly better but i dont know if he would do as well as webber.

[MrMagoo]

Felix Costa is a name worth remembering. He's been talked about as the next big thing for a few years now. Hopefully he'll get a shot at F1 next year.

[Life Saab Itch]

perez
bianchi
hulk
magnusson

[Mikey G]

Hulkenburg has potential, needs a little more experience which showed in Brazil when he got a little excited with Hamilton...

[DuncanM]

Are people saying Perez hoping for a massive change in form sooner rather than later?

He has been F'ing awful since moving to McL.

If he carries on this way McL should move him on for Hulkenberg IMO.

[markcoznottz]

Same old wiley foxes doing the business though, week after week. Raikkonen, alonso, ham, vettel, no one else regularly steps up.

[Mikey G]

DuncanM said:

Are people saying Perez hoping for a massive change in form sooner rather than later?

He has been F'ing awful since moving to McL.

If he carries on this way McL should move him on for Hulkenberg IMO.

He's been awfull since the first part of 2012, a few good races at the start of the season but never really shone for the rest of it.

[TheHeretic]

markcoznottz said:

Same old wiley foxes doing the business though, week after week. Raikkonen, alonso, ham, vettel, no one else regularly steps up.

Note the word 'future' in the thread title? When the seats of Kimi, Lewis, Alonso, et al are vacated, they have to be filled.

[Munter]

BlackpoolRock said:

Maybe early days yet but Bianchi is certainly a driver who I would put money on if (when) he gets a top seat. He's also not doing any favours for Max's career. Considering Max had a full winter test in the car too and Jules jumped in last min and he's still managing to blow his team mate away.

What this guy said.

[DuncanM]

Mikey G said:

He's been awfull since the first part of 2012, a few good races at the start of the season but never really shone for the rest of it.

you're right, he is looking like a busted flush unless he turns it around ASAP.

His antics on track this weekend didn't help much either.

Can't help thinking Di Resta was by far a better fit at the time. McL seem to have made a brave and gambly move going for Perez and I haven't seen any sort of form to back it up.

Hulkenberg has made me completely flip flop my opinion of him over the lad season and 1/2.

[designndrive62]

Bianchi almost a dead cert, most talented guy to come up the ladder in recent seasons imo.

Others from lower formulae i'd say:

Carlos Sainz Jr
Felipe Nasr
and flying the brit flag potentially James Calado

[chevronb37]

Of those whose careers I enjoyed most in the junior formulae, Grosjean, Bianchi and Hulkenburg stood out. I wasn't so keen on Bottas but mainly as he was paired with Alex Sims who I always rather admired after an unbelievable performance on a very wet Silverstone GP circuit.

For some reason I detected more sparkle from Ricciardo than Vergne during their respective BF3 campaigns. In terms of domination, both were fairly equal though.

Elsewhere on the grid I'm struggling to see who might make the step up to really take the fight season-long to the established champs.

In the junior categories I'm looking at:

Calado
Frijns
Magnussen
Mortara (wishful thinking...)
Tandy (see above)
Vandoorne
Felix da Costa
Morris
Marciello
Lynn
Mardenborough

for future greatness. Marciello in particular seemed to step up a gear after his Pau victories last year. He was fantastic at Silverstone yesterday. He might be the best of the bunch. Jolyon Palmer is a bloody great overtaker and Mitch Evans has also made the transition to GP2 look simple.

So many drivers with so little to split them. And if/when they finally reach F1 they might never end up in the right car at the right time. I mean, who'd have though Jan Magnussen would leave F1 without a title to his name. He was so quick in F3 it made you wonder why the rest even bothered to turn up.