Even by Formula One's standards this season has been devoid of real thrills. So how has the Class of '02 fared? NIGEL BURTON on the winners and losers...

FERRARI

The best driver, the best car and the best engine add up to one thing: total domination. Formula One's most charismatic team makes winning look easy. The nightmare years of the 1980s and early 1990s are now well and truly forgotten. Only the machiavellian team politics let the team down.

Michael Schumacher. GP starts: 171. Wins: 59. Best Brit GP result: 1st (1998). Is Schumacher the best of all time? He's certainly the best of his generation. Incredible reflexes and determination to win at all costs mark him out as a deserving world champion. Only character flaw is a sometimes unscrupulous attitude towards teammates.

Rubens Barrichello. Starts: 155. Wins: 2. Best Brit GP result:3rd. Popular Brazilian has raised his game, but will never win a world championship while the German remains at Ferrari.

BMW WILLIAMS

A disappointing season for this ultra-competitive British outfit. After winning races last season Williams expected to challenge for the title in 2002. BMW engine maybe powerful but has proven fragile. Failure to adopt Sauber's innovative front end aero package at start of season has also cost the team.

Juan Pablo Montoya. Starts: 26. Wins: 1. Best Brit GP: 4th (2001). Fast starting Columbian looks to be the driver who can carry the fight to Schumacher. Needs to pace himself more carefully and won't sustain a challenge until his car can run more reliably.

Ralf Schumacher. Starts: 92. Wins: 4. Best Brit GP: 3rd (1999). Quick and intelligent but questions remain about his ability to mix it in traffic. Has moved over too easily for his brother this season when Montoya would rather have Michael off than let the German through.

WEST MCLAREN MERCEDES

Every team goes through the bad times. By McLaren's lofty standards this season has been a disaster. Engine-maker Ilmor suffered more than most when FIA banned exotic metals last season. Has the resources and strength in depth to recover but 2002 is a year to forget.

David Coulthard. Starts: 133. Wins: 12. Best Brit GP: 1st (1999/2000). Could replace Stirling Moss as the most talented driver never to win a world championship. Logically has one more season left to prove he can get the job done. Ironically has driven better than ever this season in a poor car.

Kimi Raikkonen. Starts: 26. Wins: 0. Best Brit GP: 5th (2001). Has shown potential but usually in qualifying. Stepping up to top team has proven more difficult than expected.

JORDAN HONDA

If things look bad at McLaren this season then they are worse at Jordan. Neat car, poor engine and erratic driver line-up. Despite the professional presentation team lacks serious money to make real progress.

Giancarlo Fisichella. Starts: 100. Wins: 0. Best Brit GP: 5th (1998). Always gives his best. Raw speed still apparent but has been dogged by bad luck this season. Long overdue a decent finish.

Takuma Sato. Starts: 9. Wins: 0. Stepping up from F3 was always going to be difficult but Sato has suffered a nightmare debut season. Signs are he could be on his way unless he can find a way to stop crashing into barriers.

JAGUAR

Sad to see a great marque making up the numbers. New car has been a massive disappointment. Lauda is a frightening boss but can he pull the team together?

Eddie Irvine. GP starts: 139. Wins: 4. Best Brit GP: 2nd (1999). Motor mouth Irishman is fighting to keep his seat. Poor car hardly flatters his undoubted talent but Ford must be wondering if his salary justifies his lack of points.

Pedro de la Rosa. GP starts: 55. Wins: 0. Best Brit GP: no points scored. Needs a better car if true potential is to be realised.

SAUBER

Swiss-based team had a fantastic 2001 season. This year progress has been more measured but still looks capable of springing the odd surprise.

Felipe Massa. Starts: 9. Wins: 0. Peter Sauber reckons Massa has more potential than Raikkonen.

Nick Heidfeld. Starts: 42. Wins: 0. Best Brit GP: 6th (2001) The perfect foil for Massa. Fast and careful but not a world beater.

RENAULT

No one expected the French giant to produce great things but speed of 02 car has surprised everyone expect, perhaps, the team's driving partnership.

Jarno Trulli. Starts: 89. Wins: 0. Best Brit GP: 6th (2000). Done nothing to enhance a reputation as a good qualifier and a poor racer. Comprehensively outshone by teammate but looks secure for another season.

Jenson Button. GP starts: 43. Wins: 0. Best Brit GP: 5th (2000). Arguably the young Brit's best season ever. Inexplicably facing the sack at the end of this season. Deserves another chance, probably with Jaguar next season.

MINARDI ASIATECH

Ironic that in the team's best season for years Minardi finds itself dogged by financial worries. Perennial underdogs but have made good progress.

Alex Yoong. Starts: 9. Wins: 0. Comprehensively outdriven by his Australian teammate. Looks out of his depth.

Mark Webber. Starts: 8. Wins: 0. Excellent rookie year. Could be Australia's first world champion contender since Alan Jones 20 years ago.

TOYOTA

Steady debut season for Japanese giant. Conservative car is never going to win races but Toyota is in Formula One for the long run.

Mika Salo. Starts: 102. Wins: 0. Brit GP: never finished. Ferrari cast off has been steady rather than spectacular.

lan McNish. GP starts: 9. Wins: 0. Likeable Scot may have got big break about ten years too late. Likely to be a one season wonder - a modern day Johnny Dumfries.

BAR HONDA

Brit Dave Richards was supposed to turn mega-buck team around this season. That hasn't happened, yet.

Jacques Villeneuve. Starts: 108. Wins: 11. Best Brit GP: 2nd (1996/97). Destabilised at BAR when friend and manager Craig Pollock was ousted. Could still do the job but probably needs a change of team.

Olivier Panis. Starts: 117. Wins: 1. Best Brit GP: 4th (1995). Frenchman has qualified and raced well this season.

ORANGE ARROWS

Has until this morning to secure £3.2m in funding to pay for Cosworth engines. Things look bleak for Tom Walkinshaw's team.

Heinz Harald-Frentzen. Starts: 138. Wins: 3. Best Brit GP: 4th. Just when it looked as though things couldn't get any worse, Frentzen drove for Prost in the final few races of last season and wasn't paid a bean.

Enrique Bernoldi. Starts: 26. Wins: 0. Pay driver needs some more cash quick.