The top 10 WTCC drivers of 2010

10. Colin Turkington

Quite a cameo. Potential was evident from the first outing in Portugal, though results didn't match it until Brands. Yes, he was flattered by running lighter than the leading BMWs, but it was still a hugely impressive foray into the world championship.

Defining moment: It may have come in the courtroom a week after Okayama, but a win is a win.

9. Tom Coronel

Solid, but not the spectacular debut in works-rate machinery it could have been - SEAT's factory withdrawal didn't help. Got up to speed with the diesel pretty quickly, but where there should have been a victory somewhere, there were only two podiums.

Defining moment: Reverse-grid pole on day one in Brazil ended in the Turn 2 gravel. He never got a chance as good again.

8. Alain Menu

Four points from four races early on ruined it, especially with Muller and Huff under the same roof. Plenty of time in the top four but either not quick enough to win or couldn't show it playing the team game.

Defining moment: Pitting with damage in race one at Monza seemed no biggie, but the lost points spelled the end of his charge painfully early.

7. Tiago Monteiro

The popular Portuguese returned to form with his first wins since '08, and was regularly the second SEAT behind Tarquini. He recovered well from some early season bad luck, while showing potential race-winning pace, but still isn't qualifying well enough often enough.

Defining moment: Dominant win from pole on home soil at Portimao showed what's possible.

6. Augusto Farfus

A bit of a disappointment after last season, when he had the better of Priaulx. This time he just couldn't drag as much from the car. Still, there were some standout qualifying laps, a particularly impressive Oschersleben weekend and on the whole fewer mistakes than in the past.

Defining moment: Being disqualified from what would have been his only win at Okayama.

5. Norbert Michelisz

A new name to most, but mixing it with the works cars in Q2 for the first seven rounds attracted attention. He makes enthusiastic mistakes, and four reverse-grid front row starts came to nothing, but he's fast and was finally rewarded with his maiden win in the finale.

Defining moment: Pounced on the opportunity to finish the year with his first victory in Macau.

4. Gabriele Tarquini

A tough season for the out-going champion. He was, once again, the man to beat in qualifying trim, but as the year wore on the loss of full works backing from SEAT took its toll. Only one of his five wins came in the second half of the season.

Defining moment: Victory from pole in Morocco proved SEAT would still be a force.

3. Andy Priaulx

You could argue he should be higher having won the most races, though five of the six were reverse-grid. You could argue he should be lower, but BMW's limitations and that his wins were at least fighting forward from behind, even things out.

Defining moment: His exclusion from second place at Okayama ended the chances he'd been somehow keeping alive all summer.

2. Rob Huff

A much more consistent front runner than in previous seasons, he was in the hunt up until his debateable exclusion in Germany. It was always going to be a big ask to defeat Muller in the same team, but his habitual speed was rewarded with three late wins.

Defining moment: Sadly it was the Oschersleben disqualification that ended his title hopes.

1. Yvan Muller

A class act. He was just better than everyone else. Only won three times, but a relentless string of seven podiums late in the year stopped anyone else even thinking about the title.

Defining moment: Leading home Chevrolet's dominant 1-2-3 in the season opener set the tone for the year.