Four rookies, two returnees, and several drivers aiming to stop a certain German from clinching a record-breaking sixth title. Atlas F1's Richard Barnes previews the 2003 Formula One field

For the twenty drivers competing for the title of World Drivers Champion, the 2003 FIA regulation changes herald a season that will break new ground. Firstly, with championship points being awarded down to eighth position instead of the traditional sixth, the battle for the minor placings will be more intense than ever. At least two drivers outside of the dominant Ferrari/Williams/McLaren hierarchy will score points at each race, and the precious extra championship points should hone the already keen midfield battles.

Secondly, the new qualifying format is a gambler's paradise. With just one opportunity to set a final qualifying time, the risk-reward balance has been thrown out of kilter. A single daredevil attempt could propel the aggressive risk-taking driver several rows up the grid, while a single mistake could see even more dramatic consequences. The new fuel ruling, which forbids teams from refuelling the car between qualifying and the race, merely adds to the tactical implications. The measures have been designed to induce more overtaking situations, and 2003 will tell whether the measures will help to revive genuine racing, or merely serve as another disastrous attempt to artificially introduce parity. Here's how the 2003 driver combatants line up for the new season.

1. Michael Schumacher

It's hard to remember a season in which the reigning WDC started out as such a clear favourite to retain the title. Since the start of the 2000 season, in which Ferrari solved the 21-year old riddle of how to win the WDC again, there have been 51 GP. Michael Schumacher has either been in the championship lead, or sharing it, for 48 of those GP. Barring a mishap like his accident at Silverstone 1999, or the extreme improbability of Rory Byrne's new design proving to be an underachiever, Schumacher should theoretically canter to a record-setting sixth WDC title. The German's sheer consistency at all tracks and under all weather conditions, combined with his ability to match his pace to the race circumstances, should see him enjoying another year of near-flawless reliability. The new qualifying format will suit Schumacher's consistent and safety-first approach perfectly. He might not score as many poles as in 2002, but he'll always be at the sharp end of the field. His own canny racecraft, in combination with Ross Brawn's tactical acumen, will do the rest.

2. Rubens Barrichello

Despite the tragicomedy of Ferrari's team orders antics, 2002 marked the Brazilian's finest season in F1. After a shaky start, he raced fast and consistently during the second half to take a comfortable runner-up spot in the WDC. At the very least, Barrichello will hope to keep Schumacher honest this season. The new qualifying format may help Barrichello. If he is willing to gamble on a kamikaze qualifying attempt or an unconventional qualifying/starting fuel load, he may just put enough cars between himself and his team leader to render team orders unworkable. However, it's not a tactic that he can rely upon consistently.

3. Juan Pablo Montoya

The Colombian is in many ways diametrically opposed to his German teammate. While Ralf Schumacher seems loath to take unnecessary chances, Montoya seems equally loath not to. It's a mindset that time and experience will temper but, for the moment, Montoya needs to pursue his aggressive racing instincts to the fullest. World Champions Niki Lauda, Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna all benefited from the daredevil years, so will Montoya. The new qualifying format will suit his approach perfectly.

4. Ralf Schumacher

The younger Schumacher sibling matches his brother in many categories, with one glaring exception - the ability to be aggressive and make things happen for him. The same comparison can be drawn with his teammate Montoya. Although Ralf scored Williams' only win of 2002, Montoya stole the media attention with seven pole positions, many of which seemed to rely on blind faith in his own ability, rather than the measurable physics between tyre and tarmac. Ralf is an accomplished points-accumulator. Against brother Michael in a superior car, that's never going to be enough. In 2003, Ralf needs to turn from prey into predator if he is to challenge for the title.

5. David Coulthard

Coulthard can be counted upon, as ever, to turn in a careful, solid and unspectacular season. Teammate Kimi Raikkonen's form during 2002 effectively nixed Coulthard's hope of becoming the McLaren-Mercedes franchise driver, and it's unlikely that he'll relive the sort of championship challenge that he mounted in 2001. Nevertheless, the Scot will be on hand to snap up any gifts from others, allow races to come back to him, and hope that his vast experience results in fewer mistakes than his rivals.

6. Kimi Raikkonen

After an unexpectedly mature and competitive showing during this first year for McLaren in 2002, Raikkonen faces the traditional 'sophomore blues' year with the Woking outfit. The Finn is likely to tackle it with the same phlegmatic consistency that he's shown ever since his controversial entry into F1 in 2001. If Raikkonen can build on his form of last year, he will negate the consequences of fellow Finn Mika Hakkinen's untimely retirement for the McLaren team. With McLaren launching a bold and expensive new initiative to propel themselves back to the pinnacle of the sport, this could turn into a career-making year for Raikkonen.

7. Jarno Trulli

During the second half of 2002, Jarno Trulli addressed one of the long-term criticisms of his driving - that he is a brilliant qualifier but mediocre racer. If he can consolidate his newfound ability to be fast and consistent over the full race distance, he could emerge as the best bet to knock one of the Ferrari/Williams/McLaren drivers out of the championship Top Six. There are still questions about Renault's ability to climb back to the top of the technological tree. Given their envious pedigree, it seems only a matter of time. If Trulli isn't ready when the opportunity presents itself, he may not get another.

8. Fernando Alonso

After a highly acclaimed debut season for perennial strugglers Minardi in 2001, the young Spaniard's performance in 2003 will draw close media attention. He's paired with an intimidating teammate in Jarno Trulli, particularly as qualifying performance is the benchmark routinely used to gauge the relative performance levels of teammates. If Alonso can outqualify Trulli half a dozen times during the season, and back that up with an equal number of superior race performances, he should be well satisfied.

9. Nick Heidfeld

Heidfeld must feel that he has inherited Johnny Herbert's bad luck mojo. After an underwhelming debut season in the uncompetitive Prost, Heidfeld at least had the cheering possibility of a McLaren drive to brighten the gloom - only to see the prized spot go to his less experienced former Sauber teammate Kimi Raikkonen instead. However, all is not gloomy for the young German. For 2003, he once again has a car that should present him with several points-scoring opportunities, along with an established 'name' teammate who is often accused of figuratively being asleep at the wheel. It's a handy opportunity for Heidfeld to re-establish his rising star credentials.

10. Heinz-Harald Frentzen

Frentzen must be thanking Fate that he wasn't signed to drive alongside Jos Verstappen in 2003. Virtually every team that hired the Dutchman folded, and Frentzen's last two employers (Prost and Arrows) followed suit. It would be an understatement to claim that Frentzen shouldn't have high expectations for this year. Merely starting all 16 races would represent a significant upturn in his fortunes. Aside from that, we can expect a typical Frentzen year - a string of ultra-cautious and very ordinary performances, punctuated by the odd startling revelation that, on his day, Frentzen really can race with the best of them.

11. Giancarlo Fisichella

Like Frenchman Jean Alesi before him, Fisichella's career has been marked by an unfortunate tendency to be in the wrong car at the wrong time. Yet, for all his lack of measurable success, Fisichella remains one of the most highly-rated drivers on the grid, perhaps second only to Michael Schumacher. With a rookie as teammate for the second successive year at Jordan, Fisichella will carry the burden of the team's expectations squarely on his own shoulders. It's doubtful that any fan would complain if Fisichella scored his long-overdue debut F1 win this season. Sadly, the Jordan-Ford is unlikely to prove up to the task.

12. Ralph Firman

What would a new season be without a surprise rookie signing, a driver who leapfrogs the established F3000/CART route to F1? This year, Englishman Ralph Firman ostensibly continues the tradition of Jenson Button and Kimi Raikkonen. However, while Button and Raikkonen had barely started shaving when they joined F1, Firman is a 27-year old with an established single-seater career, including British Formula Three and Formula Nippon titles as well as occasional testing for McLaren and BAR. Nevertheless, Jordan's signing of Firman came as a surprise after Brazilian Felipe Massa had been favoured earlier in the off-season. It's an open secret that Jordan was looking to the second driver as a source of team funding, and Firman will be keen to dispel the notion that he's little more than a pay driver. Against a vastly talented and experienced stablemate like Giancarlo Fisichella, that's going to be a tough challenge.

14. Mark Webber

Signing with Jaguar may prove to be a mixed blessing for the 26-year old Australian. While he'll enjoy better machinery than he did at Minardi, Webber has also been put in the middle of a team in turmoil and transition, with the accompanying pressure and uncertainty. Jaguar showed glimpses of potential in 2002, although it is fundamentally a different team for this season. Webber remains one of the most difficult talents to gauge in F1. The underperforming Alex Yoong gave no real comparative value to Webber's talent in 2002, and he's again paired with a F1 unknown in Brazilian Antonio Pizzonia. With new management and two largely unknown quantities driving for them, Jaguar is already set to be the great riddle of 2003.

15. Antonio Pizzonia

Like teammate Webber, Pizzonia's greatest challenge in his debut F1 year may come from off-track politics rather than on-track rivals. The Brazilian may feel the brunt of Jaguar's inner turmoil and high corporate expectations, irrespective of how he performs on track. As a seasoned Formula Renault, F3 and F3000 campaigner, Pizzonia has the racing pedigree. If he enjoys decent reliability and can bag a handful of minor points finishes, it may be more than enough to see him through a challenging debut year.

16. Jacques Villeneuve

There are certain things which have become part and parcel of the modern F1 spectacle - social climbing and a dearth of overtaking at Monaco, seas of red flags and unbridled tifosi passion at Monza, and Jacques Villeneuve bemoaning the lack of a competitive car. Almost equally predictable is the Canadian's barely disguised scorn for his teammate. This year, it's Jenson Button's turn, and already there are rumours of a rift between the two. With the prospect of one of them almost certain to lose his seat to Takuma Sato in the near future, the animosity may reach a new high this season. Unless the BAR-Honda design team have managed to perform miracles over the off-season, this looks set to be another summer of discontent for the feisty Canadian.

17. Jenson Button

Boy, Button sure can pick 'em. In just four years in the sport, he's already been paired with four premier talents - Ralf Schumacher, Giancarlo Fisichella, Jarno Trulli and now Jacques Villeneuve. It's no mean feat that he's managed to keep his career buoyant, particularly considering his almost unprecedented shortage of single-seater racing experience before entering F1. This year will be his toughest test yet, and in a car that is likely to be less competitive than either his 2000 Williams or 2002 Renault. Button did himself a huge favour by at least outracing Trulli for much of last season. If he can do the same to Villeneuve this year, his stock will climb markedly.

18. Justin Wilson

Former Formula F3000 champion Wilson is unlikely to score any championship points in his rookie F1 season. On the plus side, nobody would expect him to either. Wilson will probably be happy to let veteran teammate Jos Verstappen draw all the attention at Minardi, and use the year as a necessary step in the F1 learning curve. If he can occasionally outperform the Flying Dutchman, that should be enough to satisfy his critics.

19. Jos Verstappen

The Boss is back. Verstappen enjoys a kinship with legendary film-maker Orson Welles. After all, both started their careers at the top and slowly worked their way downwards from there. In 1994, Verstappen shared a championship-winning (albeit incredibly skittish) Benetton with Michael Schumacher. Nine years later, he finds himself at the opposite end of the grid. Nevertheless, The Boss is one of the most popular characters in F1, and his return brings relief to a sport increasingly drained of colour. If there's a way to propel the Minardi to a brief moment of global television glory, even if it means starting the race on five laps worth of fuel, Verstappen will find it.

20. Olivier Panis

At 36 years of age, the Frenchman's F1 prospects have become very limited. Still, the Toyota deal represents a grand opportunity for Panis. Rightly or wrongly, Panis is rated more as a car developer than a racer. If he can put his considerable expertise and experience in car development to good use, and help Toyota to shorten the F1 learning curve, it would make a satisfying finale to a promising but unfulfilled career. Having said that, Panis is still no slouch and tested former BAR teammate Jacques Villeneuve severely on occasion. There may be a few surprise results in the Frenchman yet.

21. Cristiano da Matta

The 28-year old Brazilian arrives in F1 seeking to emulate the feats of his CART-to-F1 predecessors Jacques Villeneuve and Juan Pablo Montoya, but with a significant disadvantage. Both Villeneuve and Montoya benefited from competitive Williams machinery right away, da Matta must make do with a team in only its second season of F1. Like the Jaguar pairing of Webber and Pizzonia, da Matta also has the uncertainty of joining a team that didn't hesitate to ditch both drivers when expectations went unfulfilled. On the bonus side, he has one of the most amenable teammates in Olivier Panis. If nothing else, da Matta will learn volumes about setting up a F1 car this season. As a CART Champion, he is ostensibly the best qualified of this season's rookies, and Toyota are also geared for success. It will be no surprise if da Matta scoops 'Rookie of the Year' honours in 2003.