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#2 Didier Pironi
Didier Pironi's Formula 1 career was short, sweet and ended very bittersweet. The Paris native only competed in five F1 seasons but he left a lasting impact and like Alesi, could've easily been a world champion.
Pironi stood on the podium for the first time in his second season in 1979 for Tyrrell before claiming his first win the following year and earning a drive at Ferrari. 1981 was Ferrari's worst ever season - the car wasn't competitive - but '82 was a much better year and one in which Pironi would've been champion had fate not been so cruel.
Despite the passing of his bitter rival and teammate Gilles Villeneuve earlier in the season, Pironi led the driver's championship after 11 of the 16 rounds. An accident at the Hockenheimring ended his career but despite this, he only finished five points behind Keke Rosberg in the standings, less than the points earned for a second-placed finished.
It's fair to say that had that accident not occurred, Pironi would've become the first French F1 champion in 1982.
