The top 10 prototype drivers of 2014

When it comes to picking the world's top prototype drivers there's no need to look beyond the World Endurance Championship.

There can be no apologies for the fact that this list is made up entirely of LMP1 factory drivers racing in the WEC — if it wasn't, there would surely be something wrong.

The expansion of the P1 field with the arrival of Porsche explains why the United Sportscar Championship, the European Le Mans Series and even the LMP2 division of the WEC are not represented here.

The top 10 is split relatively evenly between the three manufacturers and between the two full-time entries of each marque. That suggests that the pool of prototype talent was divvied out fairly equally between Toyota, Audi and Porsche.

1. SEBASTIEN BUEMI
Toyota Racing
Championship position: 1st (166 points)
Wins: 4; Poles: 3; Fastest Laps: 3

This was the season in which Buemi emerged as a star of the world of sportscar racing.

Toyota will tell you that he didn't drive any better than in 2013, but he sprinkled his season with the kind of performances that differentiate the great from the good.

His opening stint at Austin, where he pulled 35 seconds on second-placed team-mate Alex Wurz in 20 laps, made for breathless viewing — as did a quick spin that reduced that gap shortly before the first round of pitstops.

A drive from the back after an early, strategic stop at Shanghai was equally impressive given that he was within sniffing distance of the leading Porsche before it was time to stop.

Buemi was Toyota's stand-out performer in 2014 and the fact that he won four races and became world champion is why he has to be rated ahead of the previous incumbent of the number-one spot, Andre Lotterer.

2. ANDRE LOTTERER
Audi Sport Team Joest
Championship position: 2nd (127 points)
Wins: 2; Poles: 0; Fastest laps: 3

It was the toss of a coin between Lotterer and Buemi as to who got the top spot as the best prototype driver in the world. The runner-up position might be unfair on the German, because he arguably drove better than ever in 2014.

The #2 Audi's comeback drive he anchored at Le Mans was probably as good as anything we've ever seen from the man. Fastest lap was followed by fastest lap in a scintillating drive.

Just as impressive was the way he didn't let his head drop when it became apparent that the R18 e-tron quattro wasn't in the hunt over the final races. He still performed at the highest level each time he climbed aboard the car.

3. NEEL JANI
Porsche Team
Championship position: 3rd (117 points)
Wins: 1; Poles: 3; Fastest laps: 0

Finally given the factory drive that his performances over four full seasons with Rebellion merited, Jani got to prove what many of us already knew — that he is one of the world's top sportscar drivers. Which explains why he quickly emerged as the quickest of the Porsche drivers.

Jani had a greater consistency of performance than anyone else in the Porsche camp and was at least part of the reason the #14 Porsche had the edge over its sister car.

He played a key role in the three pole positions for his 919 Hybrid and a superlative mid-race stint at Interlagos laid the foundations for the German manufacturer's first victory in Brazil.

It was only right that it was the Jani car, shared with Romain Dumas and Marc Lieb, that claimed a historic victory, the first for Porsche in a long-distance world championship race since 1989.

4. ANTHONY DAVIDSON
Toyota Racing
Championship position: 1st (166 points)
Wins: 4; Poles: 3; Fastest Laps 1

There really wasn't much to separate Davidson from team-mate Buemi bar the fact that the Swiss got to start most of the races and posted those superlative first-stint performances at Austin and Shanghai. It would be wrong to suggest in any way that the Briton played second fiddle to his co-champion.

Davidson has the full range of talents required for the flat-out, long-distance sprints that make up the WEC. He is always fast and was mistake-free in 2014 — he has that same rock-solid level of consistency as the three drivers ahead of him.

Maybe he should ask to start more races, but Davidson isn't that type of bloke. Like all great sportscar drivers, he knows that egos have to be left at home.

5. KAZUKI NAKAJIMA
Toyota Racing
Championship position: 8th (71 points)
Wins: 0; Poles: 2; Fastest laps: 0

The Japanese driver only took part in a partial season courtesy of his Super GT and Super Formula campaigns in Japan (and some visa issues ahead of Interlagos), but he proved beyond doubt on his five outings aboard a Toyota TS040 HYBRID this year that he is one of the world's best sportscar drivers.

It is no coincidence that he was present for the three races — Silverstone, Le Mans and Fuji — at which the #8 Toyota was truly competitive with its sister car and might have won with a little bit of luck. (He was absent at the race it did win at Sakhir, but the #8 car wasn't the most competitive Toyota on that occasion.)

Nakajima was at his best at Le Mans. He became the first Japanese driver to claim pole position there and put in the kind of race performance that would have been fully deserving of victory.

6. LOIC DUVAL
Audi Sport Team Joest
Championship position: 7th (81 points)
Wins: 0; Poles: 0; Fastest laps: 0

The Frenchman regularly posted the kind of performances we've come to expect of him - either side of the monster shunt in practice that ruled him out of the Le Mans 24 Hours.

The reigning world champion's comeback from an accident that initially left him with vision problems was particularly gratifying and said something about the guy's mettle.

The accident in the Porsche Curves doesn't count against him here, even though the inescapable conclusion is that it was the result of driver error. Audi appears not to blame him, so nor should we.

Duval's speed wasn't rewarded with results last season. There were no wins for the #1 Audi in 2014 and on the occasion of its near-miss at Le Mans he was, of course, absent.

7. MARCEL FASSLER
Audi Sport Team Joest
Championship position: 2nd (127 points)
Wins: 2; Poles: 0; Fastest laps: 0

This was a strong season for a driver who many have regarded as the junior partner to Lotterer and Benoit Treluyer. Fassler was generally quicker than Treluyer in 2014 and more consistent.

Most significantly, he played a full role in Le Mans victory number three for the trio, which wasn't the case in 2011 (he wasn't quick enough) and '12 (just the way it worked out with the stints).

Fassler's performances in 2014 suggested that there is not going to be a need for Audi to break up its superteam any time soon.

8. TIMO BERNHARD
Porsche Team
Championship position: 9th (64.5 points)
Wins: 0; Poles: 1; Fastest laps: 0

Bernhard was the clear team leader in the #20 Porsche he shared with P1 debutants Mark Webber and Brendon Hartley, which was only to be expected.

Perhaps more importantly, he got to grips with the understeering 919 quicker than any of the Porsche drivers bar Jani.

The results didn't come the way of Bernhard and his team-mates and they trailed the sister car by more than 50 points in the final championship table.

Misfortune had something to do with that, but the fact is that the #20 Porsche was outperformed more often than not by the #14.

9. LUCAS DI GRASSI
Audi Sport Team Joest
Championship position: 4th (117 points)
Wins: 0; Poles: 0; Fastest laps: 0

The Brazilian had a strong first full season in the prototype ranks - the Silverstone opener, remember, was only his fourth race in the division. Yet he stacked up well against reigning champion Duval.

His mistake on a damp track at Silverstone has to be a black mark against his name, but he bounced back straight away with a strong performance, again in difficult circumstances, at Spa.

10. ROMAIN DUMAS
Porsche Team
Championship position: 3rd (117 points)
Wins: 1; Poles: 2; Fastest laps: 0

Dumas got stronger through the season and played a key role in the #14 car's late run to third place (on countback) in the championship standings. That said, he never quite looked the equal of Jani on either outright pace or consistency.

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

There's no Mark Webber, Porsche's big-money signing from Formula 1, in the top 10. His performances over the whole season simply don't merit it, though his end-of-season showings suggest that could change for next season.

Honourable mentions need to go to Marc Lieb, who impressed on his first season of prototype racing after being promoted from the GT ranks by Porsche, OAK Racing's Olivier Pla, the best driver in LMP2 in the WEC, and rookie Harry Tincknell, who did everything right on his debut season in the prototype ranks.