The Chasing Pack

Prost

1999 position: 7th. Engine: Peugeot. Previous drivers' titles: 0. Previous constructors' titles: 0.

The Prost AP03 has been a preseason disaster with new driver Nick Heidfeld complaining that he doesn't understand the car and lamenting the appalling reliability, which has been destroyed by constant electronic problems as well as difficulties with the rear suspension. Add to that team owner Alain Prost firing broadsides at Peugeot for not fulfilling its promises with regard to the new engine and the fact that the relationship between team and engine supplier is, in its final year, being described as "delicate" and 2000 looks like being another annus horribilis for the French outfit.

Drivers: Jean Alesi (Fra) - 1999 position: Joint 15th. Age: 35. GP starts: 167. Total points: 236. Best result: 1 win. Best qualifying: 2 pole positions.

Nick Heidfeld (Ger): 1999 position: Did not race. Age: 22. GP starts: 0. Total points: 0. Best result: N/A. Best qualifying: N/A.

Sauber

1999 position: 8th. Engine: 1999 Ferrari. Past drivers' titles: 0. Past constructors' titles: 0.

Sauber's latest entry, the C19, has been a quiet achiever in testing, matching tough reliability to the hefty grunt of last year's Ferrari unit, a cast-off most other teams would give their chief designers for. Couple that with the arrival of Mika Salo at the behest of Ferrari (who also now employ the Finn as test driver) and the steady if unspectacular Pedro Diniz and the Swiss team look a better bet than many give them credit for. Expect a couple of surprises.

Drivers: Mika Salo (Fin) - 1999 position: 10th. Age: 32. GP starts: 75. Total points: 25. Best result: 2nd. Best qualifying: 4th.

Pedro Diniz (Bra) - 1999 position: Joint 13th. Age: 29. GP starts: 82. Total points: 10. Best result: 5th. Best qualifying: 8th.

Arrows

1999 position: 9th. Engine: Supertec. Past drivers' titles: 0. Past constructors' titles: 0.

Were it not for BAR's decision to run single livery cars this season, Arrows would surely have picked up the award for most improved image thanks to the departure of Nigerian prince Malik Ado Ibrahim and his ill-conceived and incomprehensible T-Minus branding. Not only have they ditched that deal but they've replaced it with a staggering three-year, £70 million deal with Orange.

The new A21 collects the gong for most-improved machine, throwing out hugely impressive test times.

Drivers: Pedro de la Rosa (Spa) - 1999 position: Joint 17th. Age: 29. GP starts: 16. Best result: 6th. Best qualifying: 18th.

Jos Verstappen (Ned) - 1999 position: Did not race. Age: 28. GP starts: 34. Total points: 11. Best result: 3rd. Best qualifying: 5th.

Miardi

1999 position: 10th. Engine: Fondmetal. Past drivers' titles: 0. Past constructors' titles: 0.

The little team with the big heart from Faenza attempted to make a big splash with their pre-season launch at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao (a slice of Italy transported to Spain to amuse major sponsors Telefonica) with a load of dancing girls and a car dressed like a jar of English mustard. However, their 2000 fate is shaping up much like a encore of last year's performance. Unable to strike a useful engine deal (hence a delayed launch) chief Minardi shareholder Gabriele Rumi took a two-year-old Cosworth customer engine and rebadged it with his own company name Fondmetal.

Drivers: Marc Gene (Spa) - 1999 position: Joint 17th. Age: 25. GP starts: 16. Total points: 1. Best result: 6th. Best qualifying: 15th.

Gaston Mazzacane (Arg) - 1999 position: Did not race. Age: 24. GP starts: 0. Total points: 0. Best result: N/A. Best qualifying: N/A.

Bar

1999 position: 11th. Engine: Honda. Past drivers' titles: 0. Past constructors' titles: 0.

Things can only get better, and with the arrival of the mighty Honda it looks like the good times may begin to roll. After last year's unmitigated disaster British American Racing enter 2000 in much better shape. The technical glitches that plagued the BAR 001 have been eradicated and the new 002 car has so far run like the sort of watch only the likes of former Swiss finishing school teacher Craig Pollock can afford. The only problem has so far come from Honda, whose engine is some way off the pace, which is not likely to last.

Drivers: Jacques Villenueve (Can) - 1999 position: Joint 19th. Age: 28. GP starts: 65. Total points: 180. Best result: 11 wins (one Championship title in 1997). Best qualifying: 13 poles.

Ricardo Zonta (Bra) - 1999 position: Joint 19th. Age: 23. GP starts: 12. Total points: 0. Best result: 8th. Best qualifying: 10th.