Alexander Wurz slipped into F1 almost unnoticed when he came in to cover for Gerhard Berger for three races during the 1997 season. Wurz did extremely well and even managing a podium at the 1997 British GP.
For 1998, Wurz was rewarded with a permanent place in the team alongside Giancarlo Fisichella and turned in some impressive races. However, the Austrian has an impetuous nature and is liable to make the odd rash move - one of which at Montreal flipped his car upside down in a gravel trap.
Despite the promise of '97, both 1998 and 1999 were difficult seasons for Alex, though much of this can be put down to the poor performance of the Benetton chassis and the Supertec engine It's clear that Alex has talent - as proved at Le Mans, where he won in 1996, however he has never quite regained the form he showed in those few performances in '97.
For 2000, Wurz remains with Benetton. Pre-season testing indicates that the car is reliable and even the Supertec engine seems to be performing, however it remains to be seen whether the team can keep the momentum going.