We rank the hottest racers and riders in the world of motorsport

1. Kimi Raikkonen (F1)
Drove what he claimed was his best race to win in Spain last weekend, and could have gone faster if necessary. Leads the F1 drivers’ championship and now looks totally at ease in his Ferrari. A worthy No.1 in our inaugural rankings.

2. Troy Bayliss (World Superbikes)
Continued his relentless charge towards a third Superbikes world title with back-to-back wins at Assen. The 39-year-old Aussie is now 70 points ahead of his nearest rival, an uprecedented lead at this stage of the season.

3. Jorge Lorenzo (MotoGP)
Fresh off a maiden win in Spain, and now co-leads the MotoGP championship in his first season. A phenomenal start by the young rookie.

4. Mikko Hrivonen (World Rally)
Won the Jordan Rally to move to the top of the drivers’ standings. The Finn has finished evey race so far this season, the only top-level WRC driver to do so.

5. Dani Pedrosa (MotoGP)
Co-leads the championship with Lorenzo. Now looks like a potential MotoGP world champion, for the first time in his career.

6. Felipe Massa (F1)
Keeping team-mate Raikkonen honest. One win and a second in his last two grands prix. Massa may be Kimi’s only title challenger in 2008 - if Ferrari let him race.

7. Helio Castroneves (IndyCar)
The Dancing with the Stars winner has had a very consistent start to the season, with four top-five finishes in four races.

8. Sebastian Loeb (World Rally)
Very unlucky to crash out in Jordan, but he is clearly the fastest driver in 2008, and has already racked up three victories in five races.

9. Robert Kubica (F1)
Punching above his weight so far this campaign. Three top-four placings in the last three grands prix mark him out as a consistent driver who also knows how to qualify.

10. Dan Wheldon (IndyCar)
The Brit took his first win of the season in Kansas, a result that has moved him up to third in the championship table.

We’ll update the rankings every Wednesday.