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[andrew]

He's not actually asking for no. 1 status, just saying he sees the logic in having a no. 1 and no. 2 driver in a team.

Makes even more sense if a team is going for the constructors championship where both drivers need to work together rather than against each other and end up costing their team points.

As RC says, the spectre of Ron Dennis is still lingering and I think he would trump Whitmarsh in terms of seniority so I can't see Button being allowed no. 1 status whilst Ron Dennis's protege in still in the other car and whilst Ron Dennis is still hanging around. Whitmarsh is on the Button side whereas Dennis is on the Hamilton side so I think the current situation with McLaren claiming both drivers are on equal status will continue whilst they have this driver pairing unless one driver starts significantly outperforming the other.

[myownalias]

Unless you're an up and coming driver looking to showcase your talents with a view to moving upto #1 in their current team or another team; I can't see any driver outside of that scope being willing to play second fiddle; if that's the case get the hell out of F1; this isn't the Tour de France, I still maintain that if F1 is a team sport, ditch the drivers title!!!

[acosmichippo]

Mathematically, he's right - at least regarding the Driver's Championship. It's better for one driver to consistently place higher than the other so he gets the most points possible. Trying to spin it any other way would be ignorant at best, and at worst lying.

...ditch the drivers title!!!

I'd be for that.

[LewEngBridewell]

Glad Jenson is staying on at the team. Good decisions all round.

[Big Azza]

He's not actually asking for no. 1 status, just saying he sees the logic in having a no. 1 and no. 2 driver in a team.

Makes even more sense if a team is going for the constructors championship where both drivers need to work together rather than against each other and end up costing their team points.

As RC says, the spectre of Ron Dennis is still lingering and I think he would trump Whitmarsh in terms of seniority so I can't see Button being allowed no. 1 status whilst Ron Dennis's protege in still in the other car and whilst Ron Dennis is still hanging around. Whitmarsh is on the Button side whereas Dennis is on the Hamilton side so I think the current situation with McLaren claiming both drivers are on equal status will continue whilst they have this driver pairing unless one driver starts significantly outperforming the other.

Maybe team McLaren should split into team McHam and team McButton.
Heikki can go and partner Lewis, and Sato can come back and partner Jenson.

[andrew]

I like the sound of that!

[Hammer278]

He didn't say McLaren needs #1 and #2....just said he understands it's usefulness.

Like how Alonso has found it useful ever since he left Minardi.

[racechick]

Well he's dead right. Alonso with his whipping boy, Vettel in a superior car and out performing his teammate. Jens and Lewis taking points of each other in a car that isnt quite there, either by wringing its neck and sometime getting bitten or by playing the strategy game. But Jens, thats what you signed up to, so its no good even looking longinly over the fence. It ain't gonna happen.

[fanboy]

Hi all first real post here. On this topic I can't say I agree with Jenson's assessment. It seems to me that having a #1 and #2 involves employing one driver on WDC pace and another driver who can't consistently compete with his team mate. There are only 24 seats in F1 and I can't see why anyone would want any of them filled with someone, shall I say, not good enough. If Jenson and Lewis are taking points off each other in an inferior car having a lead driver is irrelevant as Alonso and Ferrari have proved.

[What's Burning?]

There may be an advantage from a slingshot type of effect numerically, but it's certainly a poor strategy if you ever plan on winning a WCC (which apparently is where the money is if not the glory). The issue that presents itself though, is that you put all of your eggs in one basket, were something to happen to your number 1 driver, you're SOL, the holes in the thinking are clearly evident in Ferrari's results, but then again you can't even begin to contemplate the tactic until you have a car that's capable of winning every race.

[Hammer278]

There may be an advantage from a slingshot type of effect numerically, but it's certainly a poor strategy if you ever plan on winning a WCC (which apparently is where the money is if not the glory). The issue that presents itself though, is that you put all of your eggs in one basket, were something to happen to your number 1 driver, you're SOL, the holes in the thinking are clearly evident in Ferrari's results, but then again you can't even begin to contemplate the tactic until you have a car that's capable of winning every race.

Classic example: Renault.

They were seriously contemplating keeping Petrov after his 'display' in 2010 but chose to stick with him thinking Kubica will be the sole bread winner for them if he doesn't deliver. Instead, they have 2 drivers now performing at an 'okay' level but always a question mark of what a real top driver could've done in every race weekend this year? Renault are well and truly lost in 2011.

[andrew]

Renault have been too reolutionary with their exhaust and it has been their downfall this season. They pinned all their hopes in the FEE being an F1 innovation up there with active suspension, carbon fibre monocoques, exhaust blown diffusers etc etc but it hasn't delivered the performance advantage that it should have. Like Ducati in MotoGP they were just too revolutionary and went in the wrong direction. On paper their FEE on their car would have been great but in practice it's not been worth the effort unfortunately.

Whether or not Kubica could have achieved better results is going to be one of those questions that cannot be answered. I would assume he would have but you know what they say about assumption being the mother of all -ups especially given that Petrov has up-ed his game since last season.

As for the drivers, Petrov has done an excellent job with the exception of a couple mind-farts which can be excused seeing as this is only his 2nd season and he had been unexpectadly thrust into the no. 1 driver position with a team that has struggled as Kubica was out for the season. Given what must be a very steep learning curve Petrov has done well. Hopefully he can build on this going forward to achieve bigger and better things.

Heidfeld is a mystery. He's not a slow driver and is very experienced but he seemed lost this season. Maybe that's to do with him being dropped into Kubica's place in a team geared towards Kubica.

I think it is early days to really pass judgement on Senna I think. For sure he's done a good job with the exception of his 1st corner mishap in Spa, agian I think that can be put down to inexperience with him never being that far up an F1 grid before. Looking forward some good results from Senna over the next few races but so far there is little to choose between Senna and Petrov in terms of the results from the races where they both finished and their qualifying pace.

[Fred_C_Dobbs]

Every team on the grid already have a #1 and a #2 driver, whether they will admit to it or not. Within the bounds of Einsteinian physics, it is not possible for a two-car team with but a single pit box to service both cars equally. They must favor one to the exclusion of the other.

Which driver is accorded #1 status can change but at any given moment in time, only one driver can be the chosen son.

[bud]

Every team on the grid already have a #1 and a #2 driver, whether they will admit to it or not. Within the bounds of Einsteinian physics, it is not possible for a two-car team with but a single pit box to service both cars equally. They must favor one to the exclusion of the other.

Which driver is accorded #1 status can change but at any given moment in time, only one driver can be the chosen son.

During a race you're correct, but those things are pre determined within the team environment. When talking about driver status overall there's much more involved in ways to treat them equally. Eg same spec car alternating qualifying strategies etc.

[Hammer278]

Every team on the grid already have a #1 and a #2 driver, whether they will admit to it or not. Within the bounds of Einsteinian physics, it is not possible for a two-car team with but a single pit box to service both cars equally. They must favor one to the exclusion of the other.

Which driver is accorded #1 status can change but at any given moment in time, only one driver can be the chosen son.

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