10 F1 Drivers You Need To Watch in 2014

The 2014 Formula 1 season officially starts on Sunday with the Australian Grand Prix. The year looks to be fraught with technical challenges that will reward teams who can adapt and punish those who can't. So who will step up to the plate? Take a look at our list of the drivers that you should watch closely this season. You can bet that this year's champion is among them.

RELATED: Watch Red Bull's RB9 F1 Car Transform Into This Year's RB10
RELATED: Red Bull is Months Behind the F1 Competition

Team: McLaren
F1 Racing Debut: 2000 (Williams)
Wins: 15 (2009 World Champion - Brawn)
Podiums: 49
Races Entered: 249

Jenson Button has many things to be thankful for. Fiancé Jessica Michibata is one of them; a race seat at McLaren is the other. JB has delivered big on many occasions and possesses a graceful and forgiving driving style that can save tires more so than any other driver. However, he hasn't been known to make the best out of imperfect cars. Luckily, the McLaren MP4-29 looks to be good this year and his performance in Free Practice 1 was inspiring, but this old dog faces young blood in the team's clubhouse: rookie Kevin Magnussen.

Team: McLaren
F1 Racing Debut: 2014
Wins: 0
Podiums: 0
Races Entered: 0

The 2013 Formula Renault 3.5 champion has showed great potential in the lower formulas, and stepped up to the plate quickly with a strong performance in the pre-season tests. Testing speed is known to be sandbagged to hide actual performance in the pre-season, but Magnussen consistently drove quicker than Button in the same car. McLaren could be a top runner once again, if Magnussen can keep up on race day.

Team: Red Bull
F1 Racing Debut: 2007 (Sauber then Toro Rosso)
Wins: 39 (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 World Champion - Red Bull)
Podiums: 62
Races Entered: 120

This man needs no introduction, but we'll give him one anyway. Four-time World Champion, Sebastian Vettel, is the most dominant driver on the grid. He's benefited from having one of the best cars for years, but you can't discount the stranglehold he's had on the points. This year he'll have to battle uphill, however. Red Bull faces a mountain of problems with the current RB10 (accounting for his name so far down our list), but if the team can rally quickly, expect Vettel to be in the running once again at the end of this season. No other driver has capitalized on rule changes quite like Vettel.

Team: Lotus
F1 Racing Debut: 2012 (Lotus)
Wins: 0
Podiums: 9
Races Entered: 45

The ever-quiet Frenchman, Romain Grosjean, has a lot of promise this season. He's only been in a racing seat since 2012 but came into good form last year. He consistently outperformed past-teammate Kimi Raikkonen on multiple occasions in 2013, as well. Lotus faces some technical obstacles before its 2014 car is a competitor, but as long as the team gets it together, Grosjean has the attitude and the skills to put it at the front of the grid.

Team: Force India
F1 Racing Debut: 2010 (Williams)
Wins: 0
Podiums: 0
Races Entered: 58

Nico Hulkenberg is a long shot, but a definite player in the 2014 season. He's back in a Force India car after a so-so year with Sauber, ultimately showing great speed in the closing grand prix events of the season. All the insiders point to Hulkenberg as the next big talent, but so far he's lacked a consistently fast car to get him there. The 2014 VJM07 performed well in testing, so it's up to Hulkenberg to capitalize on the upgrade.

Team: Ferrari
F1 Racing Debut: 2001 (Sauber)
Wins: 20 (2007 World Champion - Ferrari)
Podiums: 77
Races Entered: 194

Kimi "the Iceman" Raikkonen can only improve in 2014. Raikkonen scored the first win of the 2013 season, but struggled as the season drew on, and ended up missing the final two races due to back surgery... and the fact that Lotus wasn't paying him. He's quick and he knows what he's doing, but Raikkonen will have to put in a serious effort this year if he wants to add on another title, something he's not exactly known for.

Team: Williams
F1 Racing Debut: 2002 (Sauber)
Wins: 11
Podiums: 36
Races Entered: 192

If Hulkenberg is the long shot, Felipe Massa is the wildcard. A proven and experienced driver, Massa has found himself riding a wave of good fortune following his enlistment by Williams. The Brazilian set the fastest time of pre-season qualifying, his career has been temporarily saved, and the Williams car looks surprisingly agile this year. Massa, however, has had issues following a horrific crash that nearly ended his career, and hasn't had a win since 2008. But if he can stay cool and put his inconsistencies behind, he could shock the field with a comeback season. Remember, he lost the championship in 2008 by only one point.

Team: Ferrari
F1 Racing Debut: 2001 (Minardi)
Wins: 32 (2005, 2006 World Champion - Renault)
Podiums: 95
Races Entered: 217

Fernando Alonso is a fighter. He's been hampered with a hot-and-cold Ferrari for the past few years but has exceedingly out-driven his competitors. Many insiders hail Alonso as the most complete driver on the grid, matching quick race pace with astounding qualifying speed and a supreme intellect. This year's Ferrari F14T seems to be a good performer as well, so perhaps we'll finally see a third title from Alonso. The only thing stopping him would be a Mercedes.

Team: Mercedes
F1 Racing Debut: 2007 (McLaren)
Wins: 22 (2008 World Champion - McLaren)
Podiums: 54
Races Entered: 129

Lewis Hamilton has a lot of things going for him this year. He's a former world champion, he's one of the quickest drivers on the grid, and he's got the best powerplant in what many would say is the fastest car (despite having a breakdown in Friday's Free Practice 1). But what Hamilton lacks is a mental tenacity and ability to adapt to perceived faults with his car. It's especially apparent over the in-car race radio. If Hamilton doesn't get the new brake-by-wire system down perfectly or deal with the increased torque curve, it could become a nagging thorn in his side.

Team: Mercedes
F1 Racing Debut: 2006 (Williams)
Wins: 3
Podiums: 11
Races Entered: 147

It wouldn't be an interesting list if there weren't a surprise at the end. 2014 will be Nico Rosberg's year. He's adjusted to his car well, he conducted more test laps than any other driver, and he's sitting in arguably the best car on the grid. Teammate Lewis Hamilton might have unrivaled speed, but Rosberg has the strategic planning that is needed to keep these cars running for an entire grand prix. Some drivers are aggressive straight from the get-go. Rosberg isn't. He knows when to conserve fuel and when to attack. Most of the grand prix racing of this year will be decided by reliability, efficiency, and tactics. Outside of Sebastian Vettel, Rosberg is best prepared to capitalize on this new playingfield.