Rookie of the year 2013.

[Nuvolari_the_legend]

Bottas.

VD Garde started slowly but finished strongly.

You are absolutely right.

[Manoah2u]

Bianchi.

Bottas def didn't do bad, and the Williams is arguably not a very good car, but he only managed to find attention and 'beat'
Pastor when pastor went out and there seemed some 'beef' going around within the team. Apart from that, a Williams still
is a team that catches attention. He did perform stable, even though he offcourse did do loads of 'friday testing' last year.
Just seems like he's not gotten into 'it' yet. Looks a bit unsure or 'not at home' yet. Like he's not completely comfortable yet
in the F1 world.

Bianchi however managed to catch attention as a backmarker, constantly outscoring his team member and caterham 'rivals'. He has been regarded high by bigger teams and I can't recall him making any or perhaps minor 'rookie errors'. He looks a bit silent but deadly, not sugercoating stuff, just doing what he's expected to do, and making the best out of what he's got. If there's any backmarker that caught my attention 'somehow', its Jules, and he's the only one of whom i'd say,
i'd be interested to see what he can do in a midfielder. Bottas already has a midfielder car, and Chilton and Pic are just totally unimpressive only vdGarde showed some potential but not 'enough'.

VanderGarde had some very strong races, but i'm not convinced, i think if he'd pulverised Pic it would have been different.
He seems a bit like too 'concentrated' and 'politically grey'. A bit....colorless, as a personality. I think he could do with some
extra 'agression' or hunger.

Chilton and Pic are total bores. Unimpressive, totally out of the picture and completely under the radar, without catching attention.

Guiterrez, just looks out of place somehow. I dunno, it's like he just still belongs in a junior formula, and like he's been thrown in the big pond and just needs to swim. A bit panic in the face. Nevertheless, at the tail of 2013 season, he kinda
seemed like he's coming alive and actually really 'driving'. But if you'd compare him to his predecessors, Kobayashi and Perez, then well.....not even in the shadow.

I wouldn't miss either Charles Pic, Esteban Guitterrez or Max Chilton. Bianchi seems to belong here in the sport, and vdGarde might bring a bit more then we've seen yet. However, still hasn't really impressed. I got the feeling Frijns in a sauber would have been more interesting.

Anyway, Bianchi king of rookies 2013. 2nd Bottas shared with vdGarde.

I'm interested in Kvyat for 2014 though, even more than Ricciardo's RBR capabilities. And even more then Magnussen.
The guy seems unfrightened. Like he'll just go and do it, but without arrogance. Brave. I like that. I think i saw the same
in Perez, but i agree Perez has a bit arrogant streak.

But anyway. Jules Bianchi it is.

[Steven]

Reopened the poll, as it was a bit pointless to have it end halfway through August.

[Nuvolari_the_legend]

I think that there were three really remarcable rookies:

Jules Bianchi
Valtteri Bottas
Giedo van der Garde

Max Chilton and Esteban Gutierrez were not really outstanding I think.

Of the best three I think that Bianchi is the fastest. But in a race I would vote for Bottas because he has the magic to drive really at the limit if he has to and he just would do what the team askes him and nothing else than that. Bottas probably also has the best car control. Though I think a team would want to have van der Garde becouse he is the driver that works the most professional I think.

[xDama]

To me both Bianchi and Bottas were impressive, given the material they had. VDG started the seasons very poorly tbh, but in the second half he gained speed and momentum, didn't think he had it in him.

And again, Bianchi in his debut was outstanding. He drove some outstanding races in the beginning of the season, but the last couple of races he looked less impressive.

And vice versa with Bottas. Started of slow and anonymous, but starting from the second half he really made an impression. Especially knowing that this guy didn't race for a year and came from GP3!

I rate both Bianchi & Bottas as the best rookie of 2013, but Bottas wins in the end because he has the least amount of experience in F1. Both are possible WDC in the future, if you ask me

[adrianchl]

I think Bottas did a great job.

Gutiérrez is improving, he was brougth to F1 to early and he is maturing slowly becouse of that i think; a pilots growing is better with his pairs, the competition with more experienced guys coud be an extra deal.

Saludos,

[Shrieker]

Bottas was dismal in the first half of the season, i didn't at all think he did a good job. But he definitely improved in the second half and had some good performances, especially at Austin. That was simply outstanding for the car he had. He had a quali 3rd at Canada, looking back that stands out as well but in the race he fell like a stone, literally.

At the time I voted for Jules, I'd keep it that way; but if hadn't, I'd have had a lot of trouble choosing between the two now.