Who will be the next driver to win his first F1 race after Daniel Ricciardo's Montreal success?

By Steven Oldham

Yesterday's breathtaking Canadian Grand Prix ended with a very popular first win for Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo, the first driver to secure a maiden victory since Pastor Maldonado in 2012.

It seems much more likely for the Red Bull driver to add to his success than the Venezuelan who continues to endure a dismal season at Lotus.  His star continues to rise in no small part due to outperforming his four-time world champion teammate Sebastian Vettel all season.

There are now nine race winners on this year's grid - Rosberg, Hamilton, Vettel, Alonso, Raikonnen, Button,  Massa, Ricciardo and Maldonado - so who will be the next to break their duck at the highest level?

It may not happen this season, but surely it's only a matter of time for the following men to take the top step on the podium.

(nicohulkenberg.com)

Nico Hulkenberg Force India
Best all time result: 4th (Belgium 2012,Korea 2013)
Best 2014 result: 5th (Malaysia, Bahrain, Monaco, Canada)

The nearly-man of Formula 1 so far this decade. The German has the talent to take him to a top team but in hindsight must be glad Lotus plumped for Maldonado's sponsorship money with their troubles this year, and the genuine competitiveness of Force India's latest machine.  They continue to outperform bigger, more established teams and Hulkenberg is enjoying his most profitable season to date.  He only needs six points to match his season-best total from two years ago just seven races into the season.  He showed both speed and smarts to take pole position in his rookie year at Williams in Interlagos and continues to impress with both his defensive and attacking driving. It's surely only a matter of time before he moves on to one of the big four and that may mean his wait for victory goes on a little while longer.




(sergioperez.mx)

Sergio Perez Force India
Best all time result: 2nd (Malaysia 2012, Italy 2012)
Best 2014 result: 3rd (Bahrain)

Force India's impressive season is the result of smart driver choice for 2014. Eager to prove he was not just a flash in the pan success at Sauber, Perez has rediscovered the sort of form that was so evidently absent at McLaren last year. The Mexican has proved his doubters wrong this year and has already claimed a podium finish in Sakhir.  His aggressive driving style does sometimes come in for criticism - former teammate Jenson Button and Pastor Maldonado are just two of the drivers he's had numerous scrapes with.  However this steel is evident in all the top drivers, although it's often more controlled. Perez is no longer a newcomer to the sport and will want to overcome the disappointment of yesterday's last lap crash with Felipe Massa, which he has been punished for.  Force India may not find themselves so near the front again this season but he has shown he has the skills to drag a midtable car to the front of the field.



(pitpass.com)

Romain Grosjean Lotus
Best all time result: 2nd (Canada 2012, USA 2013)
Best 2014 result: 8th (Spain, Monaco)

The Frenchman appears to still be a positive and friendly racing driver this year despite testing times for both Lotus and engine supplier Renault.  He must be frustrated deep down at the step back Lotus have taken this year though.  Last year he redeemed himself from the many nightmares of 2012 in some style, taking an impressive six podiums, pushing more illustrious teammate Kimi Raikonnen close and gaining the upper hand on many occasions.  He's always had pace but now is a more complete driver.  It's fast approaching 20 years since we last had a French racewinner (Olivier Panis' memorable Monaco win in 1996) and if Lotus sort themselves out next year, Grosjean could open his account.  Sadly he will have no chance this season, and may need to move out of his comfort zone and switch teams to further his ambitions.

 There are many more talented young drivers on the grid this year who I think will go on to be racewinners - drivers such as McLaren's Kevin Magnussen, Williams' Valtteri Bottas and it will be interesting to see if Jules Bianchi can capitalise on his undoubted talent when he eventually leaves Marussia.

Who do you think will win a race first? Hulk? Checo? Or am I selling the young blood short - will Magnussen beat the lot of them to a maiden win? Let me know here on on Twitter.

Red Bull's fuel sensor argument needs to be investigated after Ricciardo's Australian Grand Prix disqualification

By Steven Oldham

Following Daniel Ricciardo's disqualification in today's Australian Grand Prix, it is important that Red Bull's appeal leads to the problematic fuel sensors installed in all Formula 1 cars being tested ahead of the next race in two weeks.

Ricciardo was disqualified after post-race scrutineering found his car had consistently exceeded the maximum 100kg/hr fuel-flow limit throughout today's race.

The stewards followed the letter of the law and excluded the new Red Bull driver from the results,  who, for a few hours at least, was the first Australian to finish on the podium in his home race.

On the face of it, the decision to exclude Ricciardo can't be argued with - a clear break of the regulations leads to disqualification - indeed the FIA had pre warned teams there would be no leniency.

However, the way Red Bull and team principal Christian Horner have come out fighting are not the actions of a team who have knowingly broke the rules.  Their intent to appeal citing faults with the fuel sensors is one that will be interesting and perhaps vital for this season's championship, even at this early stage.

Horner points to problems with the sensors in free practice, and that the replacements installed by the FIA in time for Saturday qualifying, failed completely.

The result of Red Bull's appeal could have consequences for the entire field.  Now doubts have been raised about the capability of the fuel sensors, it is the governing body's responsibility to assure teams, drivers and fans that they work properly.

If they are faulty, Ricciardo was the unlucky one this weekend - who next? These sensors are not optional extras.  Any one (or more) of the drivers could fall foul of breaking regulations due to equipment giving false readings.

This is why all teams should back Red Bull's appeal and push for the equipment to be tested to ensure it's working properly.  It would be easy for teams to turn their backs and quietly accept the extra points gained by their cars today, but it is in all their interests to make sure there is a level playing field.

As for Ricciardo, it's a great shame he lost his place.  He put in a superb performance all weekend and looks to have made the step up from Toro Rosso to the senior team with ease.  An encouraging sign for the rest of the season, it's important he doesn't let today's events knock his confidence ahead of the Malaysian Grand Prix in two weeks.

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