PARIS, March 9, 2008 (AFP) - Profiles of drivers and teams taking part in the 2008 world Formula One championship which gets underway in Melbourne on March 16:

FERRARI

KIMI RAIKKONEN (FIN)

Birth date: 17/10/1979

Wins: 15

Points scored: 456

Number of GP: 122

Pole Position: 14

Podiums: 48

First GP: 2001 (Melbourne)

Best result: 1

2007 championship position: 1

- Raikkonen began his F1 career with Sauber in 2001 before spending five seasons with McLaren. Moved to Ferrari for the 2007 season to fill the seat left by Michael Schumacher and won opening race in Australia. Further wins followed in France, German, Belgium and China ahead of the season finale in Brazil where he pipped Lewis Hamilton for the world title by one point.

FELIPE MASSA (BRA)

Birth date: 25/04/1981

Wins: 5

Points scored: 201

Number of GP: 88

Pole Position: 9

Podiums: 17

First GP: 2002 (Melbourne)

Best result: 1

2007 championship position: 4

- Massa spent three years with Sauber from 2002-2005 with one year as a tester with Ferrari sandwiched in between. Replaced Rubens Barrichello as Michael Schumacher´s teammate in 2006 and showed impressive pace despite his role as number two. Was an early contender in 2007 with two wins in first four races before fading away as the season progressed.

FERRARI TEAM STATS

First GP: 1950

Constructors titles: 15

Drivers titles: 15

Wins: 201

Pole Position: 195

Best laps: 205

Points scored: 3,804

Number of GP: 760

BMW SAUBER

NICK HEIDFELD (GER)

Birth date: 10/05/1977

Wins: 0

Points scored: 140

Number of GP: 133

Pole Position: 1

Podiums: 7

First GP: 2000 (Melbourne)

Best result: 2

2007 championship position: 5

- Heidfeld is a F1 nomad starting with the Prost team in 2000 before spending three years with Sauber. Jordan and Williams followed but he was back at Sauber in 2006 in the hope of making the most of the link-up with BMW. Behind the dominant Ferraris and McLarens, Heidfeld was consistently quick last year and will be expected to win a first race in 2008.

ROBERT KUBICA (POL)

Birth date: 07/12/1984

Wins: 0

Points scored: 45

Number of GP: 22

Pole Position: 0

Podiums: 1

First GP: 2006 (Hungaroring)

Best result: 3

2007 championship position: 6

- One of Poland´s most famous sporting figures, Kubica is the only eastern European in F1 and got his big chance in unexpected fashion when former world champion Jacques Villeneuve split from the team midway through 2006. His sixth place in the 2007 championship was remarkable after he survived a horror crash at the Canadian Grand Prix.

BMW SAUBER TEAM STATS

First GP: 2006

Constructors titles: 0

Drivers titles: 0

Wins: 0

Pole Position: 0

Best laps: 0

Points scored: 137

Number of GP: 35

RENAULT

Fernando Alonso (ESP)

Birth date: 29/07/1981

Wins: 19

Points scored: 490

Number of GP: 105

Pole Position: 17

Podiums: 49

First GP: 2001 (Melbourne)

Best result: 1

2007 championship position: 3

- Alonso has returned to the team with whom he won two world titles in 2005 and 2006 before his ill-starred switch to McLaren saw him outshone by Lewis Hamilton. His tendency to sulk as a result endeared him to few at the team and a bitter parting was the result. The Spaniard faces a tough battle, however, to get anywhere near the pace of Ferrari and McLaren this year.

NELSON PIQUET JNR (BRA)

Birth date: 25/07/1985

Wins: 0

Points scored: 0

Number of GP: 0

Pole Position: 0

Podiums: 0

First GP: 2008 (Melbourne)

Best result: 0

2007 championship position: --

- One of the most famous names in the history of the sport with his father having won three world titles, so no pressure then! Piquet was a contemporary of Lewis Hamilton in the GP2 series, the supporting championship for F1. Tested for Renault in 2006 and 2007 and has replaced Heikki Kovalainen who has taken Alonso´s drive at McLaren.

RENAULT TEAM STATISTICS

First GP: 1977

Constructors titles: 2

Drivers titles: 2

Wins: 33

Pole Position: 50

Best laps: 27

Points scored: 976

Number of GP: 230

WILLIAMS

NICO ROSBERG (GER)

Birth date : 27/06/1985

Wins: 0

Points scored: 24

Number of GP: 35

Pole Position: 0

Podiums: 0

First GP: 2006 (Bahrain)

Best result: 4

2007 championship position: 9

- Son of the 1992 world champion Keke, Rosberg impressed team boss Frank Williams as a tester in 2005 and moved into a race seat the following season as a teammate of Australia´s Mark Webber. Enjoyed a steady, if not spectacular 2007, and will be looking to at least consolidate on his ninth place last year.

KAZUKI NAKAJIMA (JPN)

Birth date: 11/01/1985

Wins: 0

Points scored: 0

Number of GP: 1

Pole Position: 0

Podiums: 0

First GP: 2007 (Interlagos)

Best result: 10

2007 championship position : --

- Another rookie and another son of a former F1 driver Satoru who has guided his son´s career from his karting days to the big time. Began 2007 as a tester but with pressure from engine supplier Toyota, Nakajima was handed a drive in place of Alexander Alex Wurz in the season finale at Interlagos. Had misfortune to run over own pit crew but still finished in tenth place.

WILLIAMS TEAM STATS

First GP: 1973

Constructors titles: 9

Drivers titles: 7

Wins: 113

Pole Position: 125

Best laps: 129

Points scored: 2552

Number of GP: 503

RED BULL

DAVID COULTHARD (GBR)

Birth date: 27/03/1971

Wins: 13

Points scored: 527

Number of GP: 229

Pole Position: 12

Podiums: 61

First GP: 1994 (Barcelona)

Best result: 1

2007 championship position: 10

- Coulthard was a test driver with Williams in 1994 when his big chance came following the death of Ayrton Senna at Imola. He won his first race in 1995 in Portugal. Moved to McLaren in 1996 where he was to spend nine years and enjoyed his best season in 2001 when he finished runner-up to Michael Schumacher. Enters into fourth year with Red Bull where a place in midfield beckons.

MARK WEBBER (AUS)

Birth date: 27/08/1976

Wins: 0

Points scored: 79

Number of GP: 104

Pole Position: 0

Podiums: 2

First GP: 2002 (Melbourne)

Best result: 3

2007 championship position: 12

- Webber has known tough times. He left Australia to race in junior championships in Europe but was once so cash-strapped that rugby legend David Campese came to his financial rescue. Enjoyed emotional F1 debut in 2002 when he took backmarkers Minardi to a shock fifth place in Melbourne. Has spent two seasons with Jaguar, two with Williams and now enters second year with Red Bull.

RED BULL TEAM STATS

First GP: 2005

Constructors titles: 0

Drivers titles: 0

Wins: 0

Pole Position: 0

Best laps: 0

Points scored: 74

Number of GP: 54

TOYOTA

JARNO TRULLI (ITA)

Birth date: 13/07/1974

Wins: 1

Points scored: 183

Number of GP: 184

Pole Position: 3

Podiums: 7

First GP: 1997 (Melbourne)

Best result: 1

2007 championship position: 13

- Trulli´s sole win in Monaco in 2004 seems a long way in the past as that year with Renault, which promised so much, collapsed with a major fall-out with team boss Flavio Briatore. He was released from his contract and the Italian, who has also raced for Minardi, Prost and Jordan, joined Toyota. The last two seasons have been a struggle and a third appears to beckon.

TIMO GLOCK (GER)

Birth date: 10/01/1982

Wins: 0

Points scored: 2

Number of GP: 4

Pole Position: 0

Podiums: 0

First GP: 2004 (Montreal)

Best result: 7

2007 championship position: --

- Glock has replaced Ralf Schumacher and will start his first full season having flirted with F1 as well as other series in the last four years. He tested and raced for Jordan in 2004 and garnered two points. He then drifted to Champ Cars and GP2 before testing for Sauber in 2007 as well as winning the GP2 series.

TOYOTA TEAM STATS

First GP: 2002

Constructors titles: 0

Drivers titles: 0

Wins: 0

Pole Position: 2

Best laps: 1

Points scored: 163

Number of GP: 105

TORO ROSSO

SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS (FRA)

Birth date: 28/02/1979

Wins: 0

Points scored: 0

Number of GP: 0

Pole Position: 0

Podiums: 0

First GP: 2008 (Melbourne)

Best result: 0

2007 championship position: --

- A proven winner but not just in Formula One. The bespectacled Frenchman comes into the sport having just won four successive Champ Car titles in the United States. He tested with Arrows and Renault in the past. Now faces tough examination of his skills with relatively young team which arose from the ashes of Minardi in 2006.

SEBASTIAN VETTEL (GER)

Birth date: 03/07/1987

Wins: 0

Points scored: 6

Number of GP: 8

Pole Position: 0

Podiums: 0

First GP: 2007 (Indianapolis)

Best result: 4

2007 championship position: 14

- Highly-regarded racer who drove for Torro Rosso and Sauber in 2007 making his debut as Robert Kubica´s replacement when the Pole was unable to race at Indianapolis following his crash in Canada. Vettel, just 19, finished the US Grand Prix in eighth place, the youngest driver to score a world championship point. Replaced Scott Speed at Torro Rosso for rest of 2007 season.

TORO ROSSO TEAM STATS

First GP: 2006

Constructors titles: 0

Drivers titles: 0

Wins: 0

Pole Position: 0

Best laps: 0

Points scored: 9

Number of GP: 35

HONDA

JENSON BUTTON (GBR)

Birth date: 19/01/1980

Wins: 1

Points scored: 229

Number of GP: 135

Pole Position: 3

Podiums: 15

First GP: 2000 (Melbourne)

Best result: 1

2007 championship position: 15

- Touted as a world champion-in-waiting when he made his debut for Williams as a 20-year-old in 2000 but his first, and so far only, win came six years later in Hungary. In between, were messy contract talks during his time with BAR. The team became a pure Honda outfit in 2006 and Button finished sixth. But 2007 was an awful season with the Briton languishing in 15th place.

RUBENS BARRICHELLO (BRA)

Birth date: 23/05/1972

Wins: 9

Points scored: 519

Number of GP: 252

Pole Position: 13

Podiums: 61

First GP: 1993 (Kyalami)

Best result: 1

2007 championship position : Not classified

- For a proud man like Barrichello, who won races with Ferrari despite being Michael Schumacher´s reluctant support act, finishing the 2007 season without a point in a lumbering Honda was a bodyblow. Twice finished runner-up in the world championship and will this year enter his 16th season where he will become the most experienced racer of all time.

HONDA TEAM FACTS

First GP: 1964

Constructors titles: 0

Drivers titles: 0

Wins: 3

Pole Position: 2

Best laps: 2

Points scored: 140

Number of GP: 70

SUPER AGURI

TAKUMA SATO (JPN)

Birth date: 28/01/1977

Wins: 0

Points scored: 44

Number of GP: 86

Pole Position: 0

Podiums: 1

First GP: 2002 (Melbourne)

Best result: 3

2007 championship position: 17

- Sato started with Jordan and then moved to BAR where he spent three years competing with the pace of teammate Jenson Button. Managed just one point in 2005 and was shunted aside in favour of Barrichello. With Super Aguri, where he scored points in Canada and Spain in 2007, he faces a battle just to get on the track with the team bedevilled by financial worries.

ANTHONY DAVIDSON (GBR)

Birth date: 18/04/1979

Wins: 0

Points scored: 0

Number of GP: 20

Pole Position: 0

Podiums: 0

First GP: 2002 (Hungary)

Best result: 11

2007 championship position: --

- Journeyman Davidson had to slog it out in the unforgiving role of a test driver to finally secure a full-time seat. He drove in two races for Minardi in 2002 but then had to wait another five years for a second opportunity when Super Aguri rewarded him for his years as a patient Honda tester.

SUPER AGURI TEAM STATS

First GP: 2006

Constructors titles: 0

Drivers titles: 0

Wins: 0

Pole Position: 0

Best laps: 0

Points scored: 4

Number of GP: 35

FORCE INDIA

ADRIAN SUTIL (GER)

Birth date: 11/01/1983

Wins: 0

Points scored: 1

Number of GP: 17

Pole Position: 0

Podiums: 0

First GP: 2007 (Melbourne)

Best result: 8

2007 championship position: 19

- Sutil, a trained pianist, tested for Midland in 2006 and raced for Spyker in 2007 where he scored one point in the Japanese Grand Prix. He outshone teammates Christian Albers and Sakon Yamamoto. Spyker has been rebranded after a buy-out by Indian billionaire Vijay Mallya so the pressure is on with billions of eyes watching closely.

GIANCARLO FISICHELLA (ITA)

Birth date: 14/01/1973

Wins: 3

Points scored: 267

Number of GP: 195

Pole Position: 3

Podiums: 18

First GP: 1996 (Melbourne)

Best result: 1

2007 championship position: 4

- About to start his 13th season, the Italian will bring some much-needed perspective to the sport´s newest team. Fisichella´s three years at Renault yielded his best results with a fourth place in the championship in 2006, his best yet. Lost his seat with Renault when it was announced that Fernando Alonso had secure a return ticket.

FORCE INDIA TEAM STATS

First GP: 2008

Constructors titles: 0

Drivers titles: 0

Wins: 0

Pole Position: 0

Best laps: 0

Points scored: 0

Number of GP: 0

McLAREN

LEWIS HAMILTON (GBR)

Birth date: 07/01/1985

Wins: 4

Points scored: 109

Number of GP: 17

Pole Position: 6

Podiums: 12

First GP: 2007 (Melbourne)

Best result: 1

2007 championship position: 2

- Kept his head while it seemed everyone else at McLaren was losing theirs in 2007. Agonisingly pipped for the title by one point by Kimi Raikkonen in his debut year, Hamilton won his first career race in Canada and was still 12 points ahead with just two races left. Had spectacular fall-out with teammate Fernando Alonso while team were thrown out of the constructors championship for role in F1 ´Spygate´. Joint-favourite with Raikkonen for 2008 title.

HEIKKI KOVALAINEN (FIN)

Birth date: 19/10/1981

Wins: 0

Points scored: 30

Number of GP: 17

Pole Position: 0

Podiums: 1

First GP: 2007 (Melbourne)

Best result: 2

2007 championship position: 7

- Fernando Alonso has left for Renault to be replaced by Kovalainen who debuted for the French team in 2007. Started testing for Renault in 2003 and carried out the back-up duties for four patient years. Struggled at the start of 2007 but gained in confidence and his second place in Japan was Renault´s only podium appearance all year.

McLAREN TEAM STATS

First GP: 1966

Constructors titles: 8

Drivers titles: 11

Wins: 156

Pole Position: 134

Best laps: 135

Points scored: 3152,5

Number of GP: 631