Stepping stones

Time was that the British Formula 3 championship was one of the premier breeding grounds for Formula 1 drivers. In the 1980s, for example, only one of its champion drivers did not make it to the top level - Andy Wallace - who nevertheless went on to be one of his generation's best sportscar drivers. The 1990s started similarly well, the first two British F3 champions of that decade being Mika Häkkinen and Rubens Barrichello. However, after that only two of their fellows made it into Formula 1 - although 1992 champion Gil de Ferran won multiple Indycar championships in America. The noughties had an identical strike rate, with four of the ten champions only making it to Formula 1 - Antonio Pizzonia, Takuma Sato, Nelsinho Piquet and Jaime Alguersauri. However, this last decade has also acquired the dubious honour of the first in the championship's history where none of its champion alumni have gone on to win a Grand Prix.

Sadly for the series, which enters its sixtieth season in 2010, this pattern looks set to continue. Not only does it face stern competition for the top drivers from the F3 Euroseries, but 2010 sees the debut year for the GP3 series, running as a support series for GP2 and Formula 1 at European race weekends and under the noses of all the great and good of the F1 firmament.

Today's list, then, is the 2009 season's twenty-five drivers and the feeder series they competed in as their final step up to Formula 1. As a bonus I have listed eleven other drivers who make up, with the 2009 fields four world champions, the last fifteen Formula 1 title winners. Where a driver came from a series of similar stature (i.e. the top of its own little food chain), their step up to that championship is also listed.

JAIME ALGUERSAURI British Formula 3 (champion)
FERNANDO ALONSO International Formula 3000
LUCA BADOER International Formula 3000 (champion)
RUBENS BARRICHELLO International Formula 3000
SÉBASTIEN BOURDAIS CART Champ Cars World Series (4-time champion), International Formula 3000 (champion)
SÉBASTIEN BUEMI GP2 Series
JENSON BUTTON British Formula 3
GIANCARLO FISICHELLA International Touring Car championship, Italian Formula 3 (champion)
TIMO GLOCK Formula 3 Euroseries (second attempt: GP2 series (champion)
ROMAIN GROSJEAN GP2 series
LEWIS HAMILTON GP2 series (champion)
NICK HEIDFELD International Formula 3000 (champion)
KAMUI KOBAYASHI GP2 series
HEIKKI KOVALAINEN GP2 series
ROBERT KUBICA World Series by Renault (champion)
VITANTONIO LIUZZI International Formula 3000 (champion)
FELIPE MASSA Italian/European Formula 3000 (champion in both)
KAZUKI NAKAJIMA GP2 series
NELSINHO PIQUET GP2 series
KIMI RÄIKKÖNEN British Formula Renault (champion)
NICO ROSBERG GP2 series (champion)
ADRIAN SUTIL All-Japan Formula 3 (champion)
JARNO TRULLI German Formula 3 (champion)
SEBASTIAN VETTEL World Series by Renault
MARK WEBBER International Formula 3000

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER World Sports Car championship, German Formula 3 (champion)
MIKA HÄKKINEN British Formula 3 (champion)
JACQUES VILLENEUVE CART Indycars (champion), Toyota Formula Atlantic
DAMON HILL International Formula 3000
ALAIN PROST European Formula 3 (champion)
NIGEL MANSELL British Formula 3
AYRTON SENNA British Formula 3 (champion)
NELSON PIQUET British Formula 3 (champion)
NIKI LAUDA European Formula 2
KEKE ROSBERG European Formula 2
ALAN JONES Formula Atlantic