8. Derek Warwick
Active years: 1981 - 1993
146 GPs - 4 podiums
Like Martin Brundle, his endurance racing TWR-Jaguar teammate in the 80s, Derek Warwick's talent was whole and solid, with skills that were rarely faulted.
At the end of 1983, after a couple of seasons learning his trade with the fledgling Toleman outfit, Warwick was seen as a man on a path to glory, with Renault his destination of choice.
His first outings with the French outfit put him among the front-runners, with a first F1 win seemingly in sight.
But reliability issues eventually crippled Warwick's efforts, with Renault's problems failing to dissipate in his second year with the French squad.
When Renault pulled the plug on its team at the end of 1985, Lotus mulled hiring Warwick. But that prospect was frowned upon by Ayrton Senna who feared that the Briton's strong presence would equate to Lotus splitting its resources and thus undermine his own efforts.
The rebuke perhaps confirmed Warwick's status as a top line contender, but it did nothing for his career which meandered thereafter in F1's midfield, pinned down by sub-par equipment.
Warwick's success in sportscar racing and his win at Le Mans in 1992 was a consolation of sorts, but it didn't approach the solace of an F1 win he so rightly deserved.
