Michael Schumacher - Scuderia Ferrari        

Wins: 11
Fastest laps: 7
Points finishes: 17
Total points: 144
Pole positions: 7
Qualifying vs. teammate: 13-4

It would be churlish to find fault with a driver after a season of 17 consecutive podium finishes, 11 victories, and a slew of new records. Schumacher was simply peerless in 2002 - fast, consistent, canny, relentless and committed. The occasional glitches, like the first-corner contact with Montoya in Malaysia and the spin while chasing Barrichello in Europe, were overshadowed by the manipulated finishes in Austria and America.

Nevertheless, Schumacher proved once again that he is the most complete and most intimidating driver of his generation. The performance and reliability of the F2002 made it easier for the German, but at least part of the credit for reliability must go to Schumacher's consummate racecraft. It's hard to imagine how he could improve next season. But that's what everybody was saying at the end of 2001...

Rubens Barrichello - Scuderia Ferrari        

Wins: 4
Fastest laps: 5
Points finishes: 11
Total points: 77
Pole positions: 3
Qualifying vs. teammate: 4-13

Barrichello experienced a season of two distinct halves. The Brazilian has never been regarded as the strongest driver mentally and, after scoring just 16 points in the opening eight GP of the year, it appeared that his season campaign would founder again. To his credit, Barrichello put the disappointment and disgruntlement of Austria behind him, turned it round magnificently during the second half, and scored 61 points over the final nine GP.

Both in qualifying and race performances, Barrichello was able to close the gap to Schumacher, compared to previous seasons. Many attributed that to Schumacher easing off as his Championship lead became unassailable. If Barrichello can start the 2003 season as he ended 2002, he will at least keep his superstar teammate honest.

Juan Pablo Montoya - BMW Williams        

Highest finish: 2nd (4 times)
Fastest laps: 3
Points finishes: 12
Total points: 50
Pole positions: 7
Qualifying vs. teammate: 9-8

Like his Williams teammate Ralf, Montoya saw a promising start to the season melt away as tyre supplier Michelin failed to keep pace with their Bridgestone-shod Ferrari rivals. Montoya delivered in qualifying, with an improbable seven pole positions in the Williams. But his race performances were all too often disappointing, as the Colombian failed to carry Saturday's pace over into Sunday. Montoya lacks nothing in terms of speed and aggression. Greater consistency and patience could see him assert greater authority over Ralf in 2003.

Ralf Schumacher - BMW Williams        

Wins: 1
Points finishes: 10
Total points: 42
Qualifying vs. teammate: 8-9

2002 was a troubling season for the younger Schumacher. After a highly promising start with a first, second and third in the first four races of the year, Schumacher never finished higher than third again for the remainder of the season. Schumacher has the smarts to keep the car going till the finish, and allow the race to come back to him. Unfortunately, it's a marginal tactic when the opposition cars are roaring off into the distance with near-perfect reliability. Two first-corner tangles with teammate Juan Pablo Montoya late in the season didn't make things any easier for the German. The continuing rivalry with Montoya will be a highlight of 2003.

David Coulthard - McLaren Mercedes        

Wins: 1
Fastest laps: 1
Points finishes: 11
Total points: 41
Qualifying vs. teammate: 7-10

After emerging from the shadow of Mika Hakkinen's dominance, Coulthard had hoped for full McLaren support and a legitimate title shot in 2002. Thanks partly to Kimi Raikkonen's form, he received neither. Coulthard seems perpetually at odds with the handling characteristics of Adrian Newey's designs. Combined with below-par performance from the Ilmor-Mercedes engine, it was enough to relegate the Scot to occasional challenger.

On his day, Coulthard still shows that he is among the best racers in the field, and his sole season victory at Monaco was a classy and controlled performance. Time is running out for the Scot, though. Even if McLaren rebound in 2003, Coulthard will face a stiff challenge from an older and wiser Kimi Raikkonen.

Kimi Raikkonen - McLaren Mercedes        

Highest finish: 2nd (France)
Fastest laps: 1
Points finishes: 6
Total points: 24
Qualifying vs. teammate: 10-7

With the obvious exception of Michael Schumacher, Raikkonen was the top contender for 'Driver of the Year' honours. In only his second F1 season, the 23-year old Finn has emerged as one of the most balanced drivers in the field - fast and aggressive enough to go wheel to wheel with anyone, but already showing far more maturity than his 34 GP would indicate. Few expected him to outqualify eight-year veteran David Coulthard over the balance of the season, yet Raikkonen took the challenge in trademark phlegmatic style. Only sheer bad luck prevented him from scoring his maiden win in France, and poor reliability scuppered another handful of potential points finishes.

Jenson Button - Renault        

Highest finish: 4th (twice)
Points finishes: 7
Total points: 14
Qualifying vs. teammate: 5-12

Like fellow countryman Damon Hill, Brit Jenson Button hasn't had an easy ride in terms of teammate competition. In three years of F1, Button has drawn Ralf Schumacher, Giancarlo Fisichella and Jarno Trulli as stablemates - three of the fastest men in the sport. As expected, Button didn't match Trulli in qualifying. In the actual races, though, Button rebounded well from the disappointment of 2001, and only bad luck prevented him from a couple of well-deserved podiums. Button's reputation as a smooth and unflappable racer will be tested when he joins Jacques Villeneuve at BAR in 2003.

Jarno Trulli - Renault        

Highest finish: 4th (twice)
Points finishes: 4
Total points: 9
Qualifying vs. teammate: 12-5

Coming into 2002, Trulli had the enviable reputation of being possibly the best qualifier in the field, with the equally unenviable reputation of failing to capitalise on his Saturday pace. The Italian worked hard to correct that and, particularly during the second half of the season, he succeeded. Two hard-fought fourth places weren't enough to promote him above teammate Jenson Button in the final Championship standings, but did a lot to counter his reputation of 'going to sleep' for long stints of the race. Being paired with promising young Spaniard Fernando Alonso in 2003 will test Trulli's new-found confidence.

Eddie Irvine - Jaguar Cosworth        

Highest finish: 3rd (Italy)
Points finishes: 3
Total points: 8
Qualifying vs. teammate: 10-7

Irvine's 2002 season still showed glimpses of the form that almost won him the WDC title in 1999, such as the surprising podium finish at Monza. Unfortunately, that level of performance is becoming a rarity, and there are questions about his commitment to a team riddled with conflict. Irvine's relationship with teammate Pedro de la Rosa also soured during the season. Still, if Irvine stays with Jaguar and the team can continue their late-season improvement into 2003, the Ulsterman may quickly rekindle his commitment to both the team and the sport.

Nick Heidfeld - Sauber Petronas        

Highest finish: 4th (Spain)
Points finishes: 4
Total points: 7
Qualifying vs. teammate: 12-5

After an eye-catching first season for Sauber, Nick Heidfeld almost became the Invisible Man during 2002. That was mostly due to Sauber sliding back through the field, and losing their 'best of the rest' status to Renault. Heidfeld has a knack of attracting enigmatic teammates - first Alesi and now Massa - making it difficult to judge how good he really is. That trend will continue in 2003, when Heinz-Harald Frentzen joins Heidfeld for an all-Moenchengladbach line-up at Sauber.

Giancarlo Fisichella - Jordan Honda        

Highest finish: 5th (3 times)
Points finishes: 4
Total points: 7
Qualifying vs. teammate: 12-4

The 2002 season marked no change for the unluckiest man in F1. Throughout his seven year F1 career, Fisichella has routinely trounced his teammates. Unfortunately, that is cold comfort when saddled with an uncompetitive or unreliable car - and the 2002 Jordan was one or the other, and usually both. Fisichella was dominant against Sato, comprehensively outqualifying and outracing his rookie teammate all season. Three successive fifth places in mid-season offered a brief hope that Jordan was on the up. Then a high-speed crash during practice at Magny-Cours broke the momentum, forcing Fisichella to sit out the race and setting the seal on another disappointing season.

Jacques Villeneuve - BAR Honda        

Highest finish: 4th (Great Britain)
Points finishes: 2
Total points: 4
Qualifying vs. teammate: 10-7

Jacques Villeneuve's season can be summed up exactly like any of his previous three years at BAR - frustration, impatience, team conflict and a singular lack of results to show for it. With BAR's much-hyped debut victory now at least three years overdue, there is annual speculation that Villeneuve will finally lose patience and terminate his relationship with the team. The 2002 season was a particularly rocky one for the Villeneuve/BAR relationship.

After close friend and team boss Craig Pollock left the team in pre-season, Villeneuve and new boss Dave Richards became embroiled in an embarrassingly public wrangle over the ex-champion's hefty pay-packet. After two podium finishes in 2001, Villeneuve had to be content with a scant 4 points in 2002. His patience must surely be exhausted. Although that's what we've been saying for several years now...

Felipe Massa - Sauber Petronas        

Highest finish: 5th (Spain)
Points finishes: 3
Total points: 4
Qualifying vs. teammate: 5-11

South America has a history of introducing wild and seemingly-obsessed new talents to the sport of motor racing. Ayrton Senna, Nelson Piquet and Juan Pablo Montoya spring immediately to mind. But, for sheer in-car energy, none of these came close to Felipe Massa. If James Brown was the hardest-working man in showbiz, then Massa has earned exclusive rights to the title of 'Hardest-working hands in F1'. Small wonder that teammate Heidfeld failed to catch the eye in 2002, for any other style would look dull compared to Massa.

Alas, while the Brazilian's debut season may not have been as incident-packed as Takuma Sato's, neither was it particularly fruitful, with just a handful of minor points placings scattered throughout the 17 races. Massa has no F1 drive for 2003, which is a pity. The sport needs individual characters, and the Brazilian's eye-popping intensity behind the wheel was truly unique.

Olivier Panis - BAR Honda        

Highest finish: 5th (Great Britain)
Points finishes: 2
Total points: 3
Qualifying vs. teammate: 7-10

2002 was another disappointing year for Panis. His much-vaunted car development skills did little to help the team, as BAR's Constructors' Championship tally fell from 17 in 2001 to just seven this year. Panis will head to Toyota for 2003, relieved that at least he won't be competing with an ex-WDC for the team's attention.

Takuma Sato - Jordan Honda        

Highest finish: 5th (Japan)
Points finishes: 1
Total points: 2
Qualifying vs. teammate: 4-12

After a stellar career in F3, the 25-year old Japanese star arrived in F1 hoping to at least match the rookie-season success of Jenson Button and Kimi Raikkonen. It didn't help that he was immediately paired with one of the fastest and most experienced drivers in F1, nor that Jordan could ill afford the repair bills that Sato accumulated race by race. Even when Sato wasn't crashing on his own, he was the victim of others' mistakes, like the heart-stopping shunt with Heidfeld at Austria.

The Japanese star earned a measure of redemption on home soil, his excellent fifth at Suzuka granting an unexpected bonus of several million dollars to team boss Eddie Jordan. That single triumph in a troubled season is the sort of moment that can turn a career. Hopefully Sato will be in F1 next year to capitalise on it.

Mark Webber - Minardi Asiatech        

Highest finish: 5th (Australia)
Points finishes: 1
Total points: 2
Qualifying vs. teammate: 17-0

Webber was the only driver in the field who had arguably achieved his season goals by the end of the very first GP in Australia. Webber's fifth place in front of his home fans was more than he or Minardi could have dreamt. Webber went on to record a consistent and impressive season, qualifying ahead of his teammate at every event and often racing higher up the field than expected. Only time, and a better car, will tell if he's as good as he seems.

Mika Salo - Toyota        

Highest finish: 6th (twice)
Points finishes: 2
Total points: 2
Qualifying vs. teammate: 15-2

After unexpectedly scoring points in two of Toyota's first three races in F1, Mika Salo could have been forgiven for thinking that his future with the team was assured. The team failed to build on its 'beginner's luck' and Salo drew a blank for the remaining 14 GP. Still, the team's decision to drop their leading driver must have come as both a shock and an insult to the 35-year old Finn, particularly considering that his replacement, Olivier Panis, has achieved little more than Salo during his career. Salo will probably never get another chance to win a GP. He must be bitterly regretting the team orders at Germany 1999, when he sacrificed a certain victory to Ferrari teammate Eddie Irvine.

Heinz-Harald Frentzen - Arrows Cosworth; Sauber Petronas        

Highest finish: 6th (twice)
Points finishes: 2
Total points: 2
Qualifying vs. teammate: 10-2

The most enigmatic driver in F1 must be heartily sick of joining a new team, only to see them implode financially and leave him without a drive. Like Irvine and Trulli, Frentzen has the reputation of failing to race at his best consistently. Although, given the machinery at his disposal, two sixth-place finishes were perhaps the best that could have been expected from a frustrating year. After the Prost and Arrows experiences, Frentzen will relish the stability of Sauber in 2003. It could well be his last chance to fulfil his obvious potential.

Allan McNish - Toyota        

Highest finish: 7th (Malaysia)
Points finishes: 0
Total points: 0
Qualifying vs. teammate: 2-15

After one of the longest apprenticeships in F1 history, 32 year-old McNish had every reason to be upbeat when his F1 chance finally arrived. A major manufacturer drive, in a team with a pedigree of winning in other formulae, heralded great promise even if Toyota were F1 rookies. 17 GP later, McNish must be wondering if the wait was worth it. The Scot will be disappointed that he failed to match teammate Mika Salo's performance. Although, even if he had, it's unlikely that he would have been retained by Toyota for 2003. Having to sit out the final race of the year, after the high-speed shunt during qualifying at Suzuka, only added injury to insult.

Alex Yoong - Minardi Asiatech        

Highest finish: 7th (Australia)
Points finishes: 0
Total points: 0
Qualifying vs. teammate: 0-15

If Alex Yoong ever had designs on a competitive F1 drive, 2002 will have scotched those plans. Outqualified mercilessly by teammate Mark Webber, Yoong also had the dubious distinction of possibly the shortest and most embarrassing qualifying attempt ever, when he ploughed into the barriers at St. Devote right after exiting the pits at Monaco. A two-GP break late in the season did nothing to rejuvenate the Malaysian driver's form or fortunes.

Pedro de la Rosa - Jaguar Cosworth        

Highest finish: 8th (Twice)
Points finishes: 0
Total points: 0
Qualifying vs. teammate: 7-10

The Spaniard's focus for the 2002 season was diverted by the discontent and instability that plague Jaguar. Although he matched team leader Eddie Irvine in both qualifying and racing for much of the year, de la Rosa finished the season pointless, and without a single attention-grabbing drive like Irvine's Monza effort. If the trend continues in 2003, de la Rosa's CV, like Fisichella's, could be summed up with 'the wrong team at the wrong time'.

Enrique Bernoldi - Arrows Asiatech        

Highest finish: 10th (Europe)
Points finishes: 0
Total points: 0
Qualifying vs. teammate: 1-10

Even within the context of Arrows' team troubles and uncompetitive cars, Bernoldi had a subdued and under-achieving year. He never threatened the top six, and was simply outperformed by teammate Frentzen throughout Arrows' truncated season.

Anthony Davidson - Minardi Asiatech        

Highest finish: DNF
Points finishes: 0
Total points: 0
Qualifying vs. teammate: 0-2

Davidson's two-race season did little to either confirm or refute his talent. Predictably, he was unable to beat Mark Webber, but at least he kept Webber in sight. Davidson will return to testing duties for 2003. Until he gets more race time, the jury is still out on his potential.