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If the FIA ever decided to make a rule giving points for qualifying you get the idea that Jarno Trulli would jump at the chance. In qualifying he is good. Seriously good. It's just a shame that that skill doesn't always shine through into his races.

Qualification records show that Jarno finished the year 7th on the `master grid` effectively the best of the rest positions behind the big six of the Ferraris, Williams and McLarens. He managed to average a position of 6.8, not bad especially considering that Heinz-Harold Frentzen's average was 9.6, hampered slightly when you consider he was driving a Prost for few of those races but also that he competed in fewer grandprixs than Jarno.

However in races Jarno often proves unable to make any real impression and doesn't really exploit his good results in qualification. As Martin Brundle has often commented he tends to `fall asleep` during the races and not always push as hard or for as long as some other racers. Which concluded with Jarno finishing with a slightly dissappointing twelve points.

2002 sees a move to the new Renault team, one that we're not entirely convinced is a promotion but we're sure Jarno didn't have too much say in the matter - he is owned by Flavio Briatore - the Renault boss. Either way it'll be interesting to see how he shapes up against Button.

Either way whilst Jarno is good, his career statistics don't really back this up. In his 79 grand prix starts he has only scored 29 points and finished on the podium once. In the same time Ralf Schumacher, who Jarno was once widely tipped to beat has scored 135. It doesn't exactly shout future world champion does it? Jarno's good enough to win a race in the right car at the right time, but a world champion he is not. He's good enough to stick around in middle of the road type cars Renault/Jordan and who knows he is perhaps a possible Rubens replacement when the time comes to boot Rubinho out of Ferrari. He is after all a popular Italian who probably wouldn't mind playing second fiddle to Schumi.

In 2002 his main aim would have to be to beat Button and try to improve his race performance. If Renault live up to the hype we reckon he'll finish around eighth, if they don't then he'll level off the season much as he ended 2001, almost unnoticed.