Who has the best F1 2014 driver line-up?

"Who has the best driver line-up on the 2014 grid?" It is a difficult question, but one that I thought I would share my views on ahead of the new season.

In my opinion, there are some hugely exciting driver pairings on the 2014 grid and I can’t wait to see how they all compare when the on-track action begins.

I think Ferrari has the best line-up on the 2014 grid because, simply, the team has replaced its clear number two driver - Felipe Massa (who was pulling them down in the constructors’ battle) - with the ‘Iceman’ Kimi Raikkonen. The Scuderia now have two strong drivers who are both capable of winning races, titles and bringing home points on a consistent basis.

I rate the Finn very highly, but I rate his team-mate Fernando Alonso even higher. So this is a very exciting pairing and I feel it will be an extremely close battle – I can’t wait to see how they compare against each other. Fire and ice at Ferrari, as some have said.

Alonso is often regarded as one of the top three or two drivers on the grid, so it will be interesting to see if Raikkonen can beat him and prove that he is, in fact, worthy of being named alongside his new team-mate as one of the best drivers in the sport.

The last time Alonso was paired with someone who matched him consistently, it didn’t end very well. However, I do think he has changed and matured since his time at McLaren in 2007, so I don’t think there will be the fireworks that some are suggesting.

But I’m intrigued to see how they compare; I'm expecting a very close fight and one that I can’t wait to see out on track. But their success – of course – all rides on their team and whether the clever guys at Maranello have got the new regulations right with the new F14 T.

Moving on to Mercedes, who I think has the second best line-up on the grid. I think Lewis Hamilton is ever so slightly overrated and that his team-mate Nico Rosberg is, perhaps, the opposite. At the start of 2013, I thought Hamilton would be far more superior in comparison to Rosberg. However, the German surprised me by matching and beating him consistently on both Saturday and Sunday, showing just how good he really is.

I think his time at the team between 2010 and 2012 hid his true potential slightly, which is why his form last year surprised me. I'm expecting a lot from him now in 2014.  It should be another brilliant battle, to see who comes on top with the new regulations - which will force drivers to adapt their driving style. Can they, at last, challenge for the titles?

I also want to give some honourable mentions to Red Bull Racing, Force India, McLaren and Toro Rosso (basically half of the field). Firstly, I’m very excited to see what Daniel Ricciardo can do alongside the new four-time world champion. Hopefully I won’t be disappointed.

Force India, in my view, has an incredibly impressive line-up with Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez. A lot of people, including me, think very highly of Hulkenberg. So I’m interested to see how closely Perez can match his team-mate, which is something that I will be watching closely.

McLaren and Toro Rosso both get mentions for taking a chance on two highly promising rookies. Kevin Magnussen and Daniil Kvyat are both hugely talented drivers with - in my view - very bright futures ahead of them, and I think they can do very well. But the pressure is on both of them to perform and keep up with their team-mates.

Who do you think has the strongest line-up on the 2014 grid? Let me know in Twitter, Facebook and Google+.

To see the full 2014 line-up, along with the calendar and all the teams, go here.