GP2: Runners and riders

ART Grand Prix

Team principal Frederic Vasseur has proved with both Lewis Hamilton (2006) and Nico Hulkenberg (2009) that it is possible to win the GP2 title with a rookie, but he takes the challenge up a notch this year by planting first-timers in both cars.

#1 Jules Bianchi (F)

Age: 20
2009: 1st, F3 Euro Series

With a CV similar to Nico Hulkenberg's, Bianchi will be in the spotlight. But that also means there won't be much chance for the Frenchman to settle in.

He looked solid, if unspectacular, in both pre-season testing and three Asia Series rounds, although history shows that's not a reliable guide.

#2 Sam Bird (GB)

Age: 23
2009: 8th, F3 Euro Series; 3rd, Macau GP

The Brit seemed more a safe pair of hands than an out-and-out contender during much of his F3 career, but a podium in Macau and a strong finish to his GP2 Asia Series campaign will boost confidence for the step up to GP2. The pressure on Bianchi will help, too.

Barwa Addax

Addax expected to fight for the title with Romain Grosjean last year, but did it with Vitaly Petrov instead. It fell short, but the team's quality and its strong 2010 line-up means that it might not have to wait long to put things right.

#3 Giedo van der Garde (NL)

Age: 25
2009: 7th, GP2 (3 wins)

Once the Dutchman had clicked with iSport his fortunes transformed, culminating with two sprint-race wins and a feature-race victory in tricky conditions at Monza.

Still has his doubters, but a year with Addax could be his best chance to silence them.

#4 Sergio Perez (MEX)

Age: 20
2009: 12th, GP2 Series

The 2007 British F3 National Class champion returns for his second season, and in the eyes of many, the quiet Mexican is a title favourite.

His patience was tested in a difficult rookie year with Arden but he still showed his potential. The switch to Addax should offer him a proper crack at it.

Super Nova

Super Nova proved last year that it still had the pace to fight with ART and Addax, but consistency fell short. How much of that was down to the team and how much was down to the drivers? With two rookies this time, it starts 2010 with a clean slate.

#5 Josef Kral (CZ)

Age: 19
2009: 3rd, FMaster

The Czech was a regular frontrunner during two years in FMaster without looking like a serious challenger, so he faces a big job trying to get his head around the more competitive GP2 field.

He's smart and works hard, and will be encouraged by some reasonable testing pace.

#6 Marcus Ericsson (S)

Age: 19
2009: 1st, Japanese F3

Ericsson made easy meat of Japanese F3 last year, and could have done the same in Macau had he not been ambushed by the VW engine.

The Swede has a reputation for making the most of what he's got, but for success in GP2 he'll also need to capitalise when things aren't quite right.

Racing Engineering

The only GP2 team not to bother with the Asia Series, Racing Engineering will feel it needs to prove itself in 2010 after failing to fire with Lucas di Grassi last year. Slick, smart and professional, the team's fortunes depend entirely upon its drivers.

#7 Christian Vietoris (D)

Age: 21
2009: 2nd, F3 Euro Series

Vietoris comes highly-regarded after a couple of strong seasons in the F3 Euro Series, culminating in runner-up spot behind Jules Bianchi last year.

A couple of solid outings in GP2 Asia and excellent pace in testing suggest that there could be some good times ahead.

#8 Dani Clos (E)

Age: 21
2009: 21st, GP2 Series

Clos finished his rookie year on a decent note with a podium in the final race, but up to that point things had been a bit messy.

The Spaniard showed enough flashes of speed to hint at untapped potential, but this year he needs to string them together. Looked good in testing.

iSport

Team took longer than hoped to build momentum in 2009, but a dominant Asia Series season helped take some of the sting out. Transferring that form into 2010 will be another matter, but it's not for nothing that iSport is one of GP2's top outfits.

#9 Oliver Turvey (GB)

Age: 23
2009: 4th, Renault 3.5

At 23, Turvey has a few more candles on his cake than most GP rookies, but he has good credentials.

The 2006 McLaren AUTOSPORT BRDC Award winner was a step behind team-mate Valsecchi in the Asia Series after missing the first test, but expect things to be closer in the main series.

#10 Davide Valsecchi (I)

Age: 23
2009: 12th, GP2; '09/'10: GP2 Asia Series champion

The Italian took a confidence knock when a mid-season switch from the struggling Durango to the front-running Addax squad made him slower, but he rebounded with a stunning display in the Asia Series. The main series is another game, but he has a good chance.

DAMS

Not much of 2009 went to plan for DAMS, but the team is back this year with a new relationship with the Renault F1 team, and a colourscheme to match. A decent sprinkle of experience in the driver line-up should offer DAMS hope of turning things around.

#11 Jerome D'Ambrosio (B)

Age: 24
2009: 9th, GP2

Kamui Kobayashi might have been the guy who got promoted into F1, but it was Jerome D'Ambrosio who carried most of the load for DAMS last year.

Consistency is no problem and his pace is reasonable, but after two seasons a win has still proved to be elusive.

#12 Ho-Pin Tung (PRC)

Age: 27
2009: 11th, Superleague Formula

Dutch-Chinese Tung spent two seasons in GP2 with BCN and Trident before suiting up for Atletico Madrid and Galatasaray in Superleague last year.

His previous results have been unspectacular, but the move to DAMS gives him the chance to spring a surprise.

Rapax

The former Piquet GP team returns with a new name and a new look, as well as a title-favourite tag after signing Pastor Maldonado to lead it through 2010. The team has been strong in testing and will expect to be among the frontrunners right from the start.

#14 Luis Razia (BR)

Age: 21
2009: 19th, GP2

The Virgin F1 test driver endured a fraught GP2 rookie season with Coloni that ranged from having a an impounded car at Spa to winning the following weekend at Monza.

Has a good chance to step up and become a regular points-scorer this time, particularly if he can learn from Maldonado.

#15 Pastor Maldonado (YV)

Age: 25
2009: Sixth, GP2

Returns for his fourth year of GP2. After being beaten by ART team-mate Nico Hulkenberg last year, the Venezuelan has to up his game in 2010.

Maldonado's weak point is consistency, which is something that needs to be addressed if it's to be fourth time lucky.

Arden

There has been a cultural shift behind the scenes at Arden with the departure of long-time engineer Mick Cook. For a team still struggling to translate F3000 dominance to GP2, the restructure will be one of the more intriguing sub-plots of 2010.

#16 Charles Pic (F)

Age: 20
2009: 3rd, Renault 3.5

The Frenchman has finished third in virtually every major series that he has contested, but doing it first time out in GP2 will be a big ask.

That said, he has already laid down a marker with an excellent Asia Series campaign that included a feature-race podium and sprint-race win.

#17 Rodolfo Gonzalez (YV)

Age: 23
2009: 5th, Euroseries 3000

Gonzalez won the 2006 British F3 national class title, but there's little else on his CV to suggest he will be much more than a makeweight in his first full season of GP2.

A one-off with Trident at the Nurburgring last year yielded a 15th and 19th.

Ocean Racing Technology

'Consistencia' - Portuguese for consistency - will be the buzzword around Ocean as it embarks upon its second GP2 season. Lessons will have been learned from '09, but the team may miss the experience of Alvaro Parente and Karun Chandhok.

#18 Max Chilton (GB)

Age: 19
2009: 4th, British F3

After three largely unspectacular seasons in British F3, Chilton faces a big challenge in his first attempt at the GP2 main series.

The teenage brother of BTCC star Tom has the luxuries of time and a budget on his side however, so expect him to approach this as a learning year.

#19 Fabio Leimer (CH)

Age: 21
2009: 1st, Formula Master

The Swiss driver was a class apart on his way to becoming Formula Master's final champion last year, but a tougher world awaits him in GP2.

Despite a difficult Asia Series campaign he showed signs of promise in pre-season testing, and represents Ocean's best shot at scoring points.

Coloni Motorsport

With the final links with Fisichella broken mid-way through '09, Coloni returns under its own name. Last year brought highs (a win and three podiums) and lows (missing Spa) but this season's fortunes will depend upon the experienced Alberto Valerio.

#20 Alberto Valerio (BR)

Age: 24
2009: 15th, GP2

Valerio surprised even himself when he dusted everyone - on equal terms - in the feature race at Silverstone last year.

He'll do well to repeat the trick this time around, but points and the odd sprint-race podium certainly aren't out of his reach.

#21 Vladimir Arabadzhiev (BG)

Age: 26
2009: 7th, Formula Master

Arabadzhiev only began racing five years ago, which goes some way to explaining why he is making his GP2 debut aged 26.

The Bulgarian has rarely troubled the leaders in lower formulas, and it's difficult to see him do much more than prop up the GP2 grid.

Trident

If looks counted, Trident would be champion - the team and cars are always immaculately presented. Results have been another matter, but Davide Rigon demonstrated last year that it's capable of fighting for points when it has its act together.

#24 Johnny Cecotto (YV)

Age: 20
2009: 26th, F3 Euro Series (part-season)

Cecotto's pace surprised a few when he joined DPR for the final two rounds of '09, although that speed was tempered by a wild streak that he'll need to lose if he wants to avoid spending 2010 in the barriers. He does have a lot of untapped potential.

#25 Adrian Zaugg (ZA)

Age: 23
2009: 14th, Renault 3.5 (part-season)

The South African returns to the series for the first time since 2007, with most of the intervening time having been divided between A1GP and nothing.

He's capable behind the wheel, but his fortunes will depend on Trident's competence and his having a full budget.

DPR

The name is the only thing that remains from the team that David Price sold to Andre Herck a year ago, with the squad now staffed almost entirely by Italians. Last season offered little excitement, but DPR surprised a few in the recent Asia Series.

#26 Michael Herck (RO)

Age: 21
2009: 23rd, GP2

Rarely touted as one of the grid's heavyweights, Herck actually drove better in 2009 than his tally of zero points would suggest.

Don't expect him to keep drivers like Bianchi and Maldonado awake at night, but a sprint-race pole position is a possibility.

#27 Giacomo Ricci (I)

Age: 25
2009: 27th, GP2 (part-season)

Lack of budget meant that the Milanese only made a few appearances in 2009 but he was stunning in the 2009/10 Asia Series, scoring points in all of the last six races and winning the season finale.

The biggest issue remains whether he has a full budget for '10.

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