F3 Top 10

1. Nico Hulkenberg (Euro Series - ART Grand Prix)

Head and shoulders above the rest of the category with a 70 per cent win rate in the 'proper' races (reverse grids don't count!). He had some bad luck at the beginning of the season - and even made a mistake by crashing at Pau - but bounced back with an emphatic succession of victories and was simply untouchable.

There were a lot of rookies around him and several expected challengers underperformed, but his season was still as impressive and dominant as any in the recent history of F3 and he is clearly destined for greater things.

2. Jaime Alguersuari (British F3 - Carlin Motorsport)

Found the just right balance between all-out charging and measured podium accumulation. His top six finishing record was outstanding, but he was still able to leave everyone behind on his day to notch up five wins to just edge the title.

Also has a mature and calculated approach well beyond his 18 years and is the first to concede that he's not quite ready for GP2 yet. And yes, he is the son of Jaime Alguersuari Sr - boss of the Renault World Series - so don't be surprised to see him turn up there next year.

3. Jules Bianchi (Euro Series - ART Grand Prix)

The sheer speed of this kid, given that this was just his second year in a racing car, was incredible. It's easy to over-do praise on drivers at this level in the constant search for the next big star, but it's already a widely-held belief that the quiet Frenchman is something a bit special.

His victory in the Masters - beating Hulkenberg in a straight fight - was the highlight of a breakout season. He's got bags of potential and anything other than a Euro Series return with champion team ART next year seems unthinkable - he was being tipped to 'do a Hulkenberg' in 2009 before 2008 was over.

4. Brendon Hartley (British F3 - Carlin Motorsport)

Sensationally quick when he keeps it all together, but agonisingly frustrating when it all falls apart. He's overly hard on himself and his determination has a tendency to spill into desperation. No question marks what-so-ever over his speed - he will drive away from everyone on his day, but he is prone to overdriving when things aren't perfect gets into tangles.

But he showed the ability to learn from his mistakes from round to round, and by season's end he brought a telling calmness and patience to his game. He could probably do with another year in F3 to smooth his ragged edges, but at 18 he's got plenty of time on his side.

5. Oliver Turvey (British F3 - Carlin Motorsport)

He was unlucky to miss out on the championship at the finale, especially after the engine failure at Spa. In many ways it was the perfect season, gathering momentum throughout - he was just pipped by someone that peaked later. But you could equally point to the four occasions in the first half of the year when he was eighth or lower.

With continued support from the Racing Steps Foundation he is likely move up, but with his backer only considering top teams, he is more likely to be World Series bound than to land the GP2 ride he is after.

6. Sergio Perez (British F3 - T-Sport)

Was stunning in the previously unfancied Mugen-Honda-powered T-Sport car in the early part of the year. Marked himself out as a top class driver with two charges to victory from 14th on the grid at Monza and looked for a while like a runaway champion.

He found a little consistency later in the year, but the ability to challenge for wins slipped away. But he proved he can lead a team and his driving was impeccable, he should make a fine GP2 pilot.

7. Edoardo Mortara (Euro Series - Signature-Plus)

A funny old year for the Italian. He led the Volkswagen charge and was by far the best of the non-Mercedes cars. But he almost surprised even himself with an early championship lead, and then fell away with a shocking run of results mid-season.

Still very quick, though a bit wild at times and he seemed to disappear off the radar for chunks of the year. Because he was the only front running VW it was difficult to tell when he could have done better, but he was still the closest one to Hulkenberg for much of the year.

8. Mika Maki (Euro Series - Mucke Motorsport)

Burst onto the scene at the start of the year and was the only rookie contesting the title with Hulkenberg and Mortara for a time. But there was a sudden drop in form following a huge road accident in the middle of the season and he never really recovered it.

Needs another year of F3 to show what he's capable of and is likely to be a strong contender if he comes back fresh next year.

9. Christian Vietoris (Euro Series - Mucke Motorsport)

A good first season for the next in the queue of Wili Weber-backed young German drivers. He wasn't a true rookie, having done German F3 in 2007, but the Euro Series was still a big step and he would have been higher in the championship were it not for several issues not of his own making.

He was a fringe player for the majority of the season, but showed his ability to get on the podium in Saturday races and landed a reverse grid win too. The natural progression would be to continue to follow Hulkenberg's path to a title assault at ART next season.

10. Marcus Ericsson (British F3 - Fortec Motorsport)

Impressed with his speed right from the outset, especially considering how little experience he had coming into the year. But too often he struggled to turn testing pace into results over a race weekend.

Though there was still a string of second places and he was unfortunate not to win a race somewhere along the way. Another who should be in the hunt if he comes back for another go in 2009.