5) Arthur Pic
After three years racing in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series, Arthur Pic moved to the GP2 Series this year with Campos Racing, and was one of the most impressive rookie drivers of the season. He took one win at the Hungaroring and two other podium finishes on his way to finishing seventh in the championship.
He was one of the best drivers all year with conserving his tyres, especially over the early rounds in Bahrain and Spain where he was able to score points in six of the first seven races of the year. Despite a mid-season drop in form – he failed to score points in five consecutive races between the Sprint races at the Red Bull Ring and Hockenheim, he came back fighting at the Hungaroring, and took a deserved first series victory in the Feature race after starting from third place on the grid and using an alternative pit strategy that worked to his advantage.
Over the closing races of the season, he was in fine form, taking podium finishes at both Monza and Abu Dhabi, and scored top eight finishes in all of the final six races of the season. He was the second best rookie in the championship after Stoffel Vandoorne, and looked unflustered driving all year round.
The Frenchman has already put pen to paper to stay with Campos Racing for the 2015, and will be looking to build on the strong and consistent results he had in 2014, and it would not be a surprise to see him embroiled in the championship battle next season.
