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[LRW]

But this is McLaren. They are still going to make a fast car, and still be in the top 3. Perez has proven to be a fast driver on a few occasions, so Im sure he will soon settle in and start getting podiums.

Id be very happy to see Button or Perez win the championship this year!

[racechick]

I'm not doubting Perez's ability, or McLarens ability to produce a fast car. But championships are thin on the ground and by having two drivers with the same skill set ( and probably the same areas of weakness) might make it even harder for them to pull it all together and win something. I'm not saying they won't.

[scotty]

I don't think Perez and Button's weaknesses are similar at all. Perez needs to eliminate the mistakes (something Button very rarely makes), i don't think he was ever really bizarrely off the pace for no particularly good reason like Button was sometimes last season, i certainly don't remember any occasion like that. If Perez can keep it on track, then i think he is very capable of being a threat for the title if the car is up to it - even this first season at McLaren - he should not be undestimated.

[What's Burning?]

I'm not looking at anything other than the capability of the car and the team's ability to give either Button and Perez a car that's capable on a given GP weekend. I see McLaren either doing well with both drivers or not doing well with either driver based on how the car is performing, not having an ability as they would have with Hamilton of getting those fifth or sixth place finishes when the car is running poorly.

Actually if I had to pick a dream scenario (not a fantasy scenario) McLaren would win the WCC and Ferrari would win the WDC.

[racechick]

I don't think Perez and Button's weaknesses are similar at all. Perez needs to eliminate the mistakes (something Button very rarely makes), i don't think he was ever really bizarrely off the pace for no particularly good reason like Button was sometimes last season, i certainly don't remember any occasion like that. If Perez can keep it on track, then i think he is very capable of being a threat for the title if the car is up to it - even this first season at McLaren - he should not be undestimated.

Perhaps I shouldn't have used the word weakness. But if they're driving style is similar, something which adversely affects one is likely to adversely affect the other. Perez was very consistent first half of the season...not so second half. And I think Button does make mistakes, no loads, but he makes them.
And remember who it was that took the team in the wrong direction on set up last year, there won't be a Hamilton in the other car whose settings they can default to and who will be bringing the points home while it all gets sorted out. Button is leading this, he's said so frequently, so if he gets it wrong this year , Perez will also be affected. He might not of course, and then Perez will indeed be in with a good chance of the championship.

[What's Burning?]

It's not a bad situation for Button, he'll either win or get a runner up WDC if McLaren get it right, but at least he's going to get a shot at it, something that wasn't going to happen with Lewis as his team mate.

I'm actually eager to see the comparisons both on track on Saturday an in the points on Sunday between Button and Perez.

[scotty]

Perhaps I shouldn't have used the word weakness. But if they're driving style is similar, something which adversely affects one is likely to adversely affect the other. Perez was very consistent first half of the season...not so second half. And I think Button does make mistakes, no loads, but he makes them.
And remember who it was that took the team in the wrong direction on set up last year, there won't be a Hamilton in the other car whose settings they can default to and who will be bringing the points home while it all gets sorted out. Button is leading this, he's said so frequently, so if he gets it wrong this year , Perez will also be affected. He might not of course, and then Perez will indeed be in with a good chance of the championship.

Without getting too into semantics i think weakness is an apt term, i just think they have different weaknesses. And when i say mistakes i mean on track errors, in this instance. I think you are being a bit harsh on Button saying "And remember who it was that took the team in the wrong direction on set up last year" considering a race like Spa where his side nailed it and Hamilton's side went completely in the wrong direction, for an example. That's not to say i think he's some genius or whatever though before anyone goes off at me, cause the problems at Canada and Monaco, etc, were obvious.

Regardless of that, i don't think Perez will just use Button's setups all the time next season if that is what you are implying, the teams don't work like that (ie automatically just using one baseline setup), the drivers will always devlop their own setup tweaks at the track, and only default to the other drivers' setup when there is some crisis at the last minute. I believe Perez might turn out to be very capable of managing by himself without just doing what Button does anyway

While i'm here one thing i don't get, this constant thing that seems to appear round here about how Button can only go quick when the car is perfect, cause that is completely at odds with his long proven skill in wet and changing conditions, where the car handles at its worst.

[What's Burning?]

I think both of those ideas are a fallacy, Button can obviously be quick when the weather is not a factor, but he's also had less than stellar performances in the wet, and I can think of more than one example of him winning a wet contest because of misfortune of other drivers.

Button is a fine and relatively consistent driver with decent pace on his day, and if given a great car he's shown to be able to win with it.

[scotty]

No doubt, i'm just questioning some of these things (from both sides of the coin) that get thrown around a lot.

[racechick]

Spa was different. That wasn't just a case of set up, it was drivers, or a driver, not being given correct information on how the new wing would react. I was talking about a six or seven race draught, not a one off.
I hope Perez is allowed to go his own way on set ups, but not sure he will, McLaren have for some time been centralising everything.

And I agree with WB about the fallacy of Button in the wet.

[scotty]

The point i am trying to make is that it is a myth that Button needs perfect balance to win races, not if he is good in the wet or not, that was just an example used to try and demonstrate my point.

[CookinFlat6]

For me, the weakness in the McLaren partnership comes from having 2 drivers who are not the best at qualifying. In JBs case, when things are perfect and others have misfortune (or he puts them in the wall) then he can do well despite a lower grid position.
However with both drivers likely to start 'out of place' on the grid with respect to the cars performance, and with both then having to rely on mishaps ahead the team is dependent on the same strategies for both a lot.
Now 2 drivers cannot be in the same space at once, so if both have to use strategies like (for example) start 11th and 12th and use different tyres etc, there could be a weakness there as both have equal opportunities, whereas with a Lewis/JB they were hardly in the same space (sometimes not even the same race)

Yes the team could then focus exclusively on the tortoise strategy and direction as opposed to the hare one, and that could be beneficial, however there are going to be weekends where despite having a very fast car the grip or balance goes missing and there will be Alonso, Lewis, Seb, Kimi in slower cars but with track position.

Perez is younger and likely to be hungrier, I can therefore see him out qualify JB regularly and this will lead to an interesting team dynamic when JB comes to overtake him. I cannot see young Checo letting 'nice guy' Button past, assuming Button finds the grip

[What's Burning?]

I'm not entirely sold on Perez not being a good qualifier. He out qualified Kobayashi pretty consistently.

[stonemonkey]

Button's maybe not anything particularly special in the wet but he's been pretty good at reading changing conditions.

[racechick]

Or lucky at making a gamble call when it's possibly his only option .

On the bright side for Button " a key bugbear for Jenson Button and Lotus appears wiped away" mark Hughes writing in Autosport and referring to the change in the pirelli's which will aid those cars and drivers who struggled to get heat in the tyres.