The top 10 GP3 drivers of 2013

Few would have predicted Daniil Kvyat's title march, or his graduation to Formula 1 next year, at the halfway point of the GP3 season. He hadn't even scored a podium by then, but it all came together beautifully in the second half of the year.

Winning the title in his rookie season was impressive enough, but the manner in which he built his momentum into an irresistible force was probably a key deciding factor in Toro Rosso gambling on him for 2014, coupled with his European Formula 3, F1 test and simulator performances.

Of his total points haul, 76 per cent (128) came in that second half of the season. His first podium was at the Hungaroring; his first win at Spa. Then the clinchers: two wins, two poles and two fastest laps at Monza and Yas Marina. Job done.

1. DANIIL KVYAT

Team: MW Arden
Championship position: 1st (168 points)
Wins: 3
Poles: 2
Fastest laps: 4

Two disastrous weekends, a couple of merely good rounds and four mega ones. Wins at Spa, Monza and Yas Marina were dispatched in style.

This was a tough series to win, arguably with more strength in depth than GP2, and despite his rookie status, he blitzed it.

A fast learner, and he'll need to be in F1. But if he can get that ball rolling like he did this year, who knows what his limits are? He certainly hasn't found them yet.

2. CONOR DALY

Team: ART Grand Prix
Championship position: 3rd (126 points)
Wins: 1
Poles: 1
Fastest laps: 1

Boy, this is a tough call to put him ahead of those below. But Daly was the driver who took the fight to Kvyat most and showed a lot of flair.

Still has some tough edges to polish; a jump-start at Silverstone and a Monza first-corner shunt proved costly.

His Nurburgring weekend was disappointing too, but he was mega at Spa. Elsewhere, he dominated at Valencia, after which he was told off for doing donuts while "celebrating his culture" - well before Sebastian Vettel was.

Even found time to race in GP2 and the Indianapolis 500 - versatile!

3. TIO ELLINAS

Team: Marussia Manor Racing
Championship position: 4th (116 points)
Wins: 2
Poles: 1
Fastest laps: 1

Like Daly, Ellinas has a tremendous swagger to his driving style and is great to watch.

Loves nothing better than getting his head down and charging, but his attempt to defend his series lead, rather than continuing to push on, appeared to bite him on the backside.

Spa and Monza disasters were a double-whammy to his title hopes, just as Kvyat was getting into his dominating stride.

Ended the season with a win, just as he started it, but just needs to ride those crests of success, rather than falling off them.

4. FACU REGALIA

Team: ART Grand Prix
Championship position: 2nd (138 points)
Wins: 1
Poles: 1
Fastest laps: 2

A big improvement in confidence was reflected in all aspects of his driving.

The Argentinian with the impressively devoted fan club looked convincing at many circuits, but couldn't quite deliver when he had to at the end.

Outscoring his team-mates was no mean feat in itself, but just as he looked solid enough to repel Kvyat's title advance, he made a total horlicks of the final round, spent too much of his weekend on the expanses of asphalt run-off rather than the track, and ended his campaign with a whimper.

The difference between a champion and best loser, eh?

5. ALEXANDER SIMS

Teams: Status GP/Carlin
Championship position: 8th (77 points)
Wins: 1
Poles: 0
Fastest laps: 1

Fabulous performances every time out in his part-season with Status (in one weekend he scored almost all of that team's points!) and then Carlin.

Should have won at the Nurburgring with the latter, and then did so brilliantly at Spa.

Finished in the points in every race he started. Not only is he quick, he's smart too; a class act.

Deserves another full-time crack at this, to put everything he's learned into practice, although he's realistic enough to know that his real future is in sportscars, or how about the DTM?

6. JACK HARVEY

Team: ART Grand Prix
Championship position: 5th (114 points)
Wins: 2
Poles: 0
Fastest laps: 1

Scrappy start to the season in his first year with a French team, from which he recovered well to win at Silverstone in front of his home crowd.

But dreadful error at Spa, when he caused himself to have a huge accident, was a major blot on his copybook - although he was big enough to hold his hands up to it.

A shame, because Silverstone and Monza victories were sublime and were a better indicator of the talent he possesses.

As good out of the car as he is in it, the big manufacturers should take a serious look at this guy.

7. NICK YELLOLY

Team: Carlin
Championship position: 6th (107 points)
Wins: 0
Poles: 0
Fastest laps: 1

No wins, but one of the best racers out there, highlighted by his tremendous charge from last to 12th at Valencia after a technical infringement in qualifying.

Came closest to victory in race two at Silverstone, and chased Kvyat home at Monza.

The arrival of fellow Brit Sims into the Carlin team appeared to buck his ideas up, especially after an anonymous Hungarian performance, but that Valencia weekend was the true missed opportunity here, and might have propelled him into the title fight.

8. KEVIN KORJUS

Team: Koiranen GP
Championship position: 7th (107 points)
Wins: 0
Poles: 1
Fastest laps: 1

This cheeky little Estonian returned to the team that took him to Formula Renault Eurocup success in 2010, and he put in some decent performances.

Two poles showed his pace (although his Barcelona one was stripped due a practice transgression) but lack of wins, and non-scores at the Nurburgring and Yas Marina, were disappointing - especially when he'd qualified P3 at the latter.

He was as quick, if not swifter, than team-mate Vainio all year, which is no mean feat in itself.

9. AARO VAINIO

Team: Koiranen GP
Championship position: 9th (75 points)
Wins: 2
Poles: 1
Fastest laps: 1

Expected to be a title challenger with the Koiranen team in his third year in the category, especially after finishing fourth last year with ART.

Despite his two wins, at Barcelona and the Hungaroring, there were too many anonymous days and he eventually found himself dropped for the impressive Dean Stoneman in Abu Dhabi when he ran out of cash.

Still a big talent, but you wonder if he's got the consistency to produce a championship run after the chances that have been afforded to him.

10. CARLOS SAINZ JR

Team: MW Arden
Championship position: 10th (66 points)
Wins: 0
Poles: 1
Fastest laps: 1

Undoubtedly a top performer, but it just didn't happen for him in GP3, and he was put firmly in the shade by fellow Red Bull junior Kvyat.

After struggling gamefully in Barcelona opener, he was right on the pace at Valencia.

Stepped over the line at Silverstone, when he wiped-out Lewis Williamson on the Wellington Straight, and did so again with Patric Niederhauser at Yas Marina.

Brilliant pace at Spa, recording one of the best pole laps of the season, but only two podiums in total were not good enough in this team and with his reputation.

Honourable mentions

Can you believe the man who led the second-most laps this year didn't make the top 10? Step forward Robert Visoiu, who made the most of reversed-grid pole at the 'impossible to pass' tracks of Valencia and the Hungaroring to score two wins.

Elsewhere he was an also-ran, but still not bad for a 17-year-old who has a bright future ahead of him on this form.

Lewis Williamson and Patrick Niederhauser were victims of GP3's strength in depth. The opening round was as good as it got for Niederhauser, as he never came close to repeating his fabulous double podium there.

Williamson continues to be an enigma. Huge talent, with gritty drives at the Nurburgring and Monza, but always seems plagued with poor fortune.

Briton Melville McKee and Italy's Giovanni Venturini won reversed-grid races at the Nurburgring and Silverstone respectively.

Finally, cancer survivor Dean Stoneman made a brilliant single-seater return in Abu Dhabi, and hopefully the fraternity took full notice.