Is Button good for McLaren?

[Dragger]

Originally Posted by steve_r

So, Magnussen is a good as Vettel, Schumacher and Prost?

Not certain yet, tis why I used the term "might."

But it would be highly likely that Magnussen is consistently faster than Perez.

All I'm saying is most every successful F1 team has a consistently fast, confident, top #1 driver that is able to give good feedback for set-up and R&D, and a consistent reliable #2 driver who is willing to back up the #1 driver.

Who the #2 driver is determined by all out pace and ability to accumulate points. Perez is simply not a #1 driver, and when compared to the top drivers in the past, neither has Button been. McLaren need that Top Gun.

[Razzzor]

Originally Posted by Dragger

What McLaren needs is another Top Gun like Vettel, M.S., or Senna.

Gee, why didn't McLaren think of that. Now, where to sign up the 4th greatest driver in F1 history? Hmmm. If only it were that easy.

I'd like to see Magnussen and Vandoorne in F1 soon, and McLaren don't seem to be afraid to sign rookies. I don't think you'd sign either of them for 2014 over Perez though...

[Biscuits In A Red Bull]

I'd give Perez a chance for 2014 to see what he can do.

[kpkorsager]

Magnussen drops GP2 test at the same time as one off the potential big Danish sponsors talkes about getting involved in F1.
Is this just wishful thinking or is there an opening coming up.

Will Magnussen replace Perez in Brazil?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/for...re-chance.html

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by kpkorsager

Magnussen drops GP2 test at the same time as one off the potential big Danish sponsors talkes about getting involved in F1.
Is this just wishful thinking or is there an opening coming up.

Will Magnussen replace Perez in Brazil?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/for...re-chance.html

Not according to this.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/111146

[bella]

there's so much posturing going on at the moment from the teams it's bloody impossible to try and figure out what they're all up to.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by bella

there's so much posturing going on at the moment from the teams it's bloody impossible to try and figure out what they're all up to.

The Silly Season is upon us.

[Halvautomat]

Why did McLaren F1 hire Perez in the first place?
Strange...!!!
Lack off money?
Perez is not fast and his driving stile is like a roof-car-driver....

http://grandprixrankings.com/compare...sus-kobayashi/

[Knowlesy]

It is definitely one of the more underwhelming signings of recent years by a top team.

[bella]

actually i think that's a really good point about the roof car driver thing - perez would make a really really good endurance driver.

which imo is WAY more likely to lead to a decent career than faffing around in f1. understand the sponsorship and visibility reasons for going for f1 though.

[Paradise City]

Perez is a Mexican Grosjean. He's not slow, he's young, he's fearless but is erratic. He needs self discipline. I'm surprised there are calls for him to be sacked. Magnussen is promising in his own right but to plonk him next to Button next year would be very speculative. With Perez, the ingredients are there, it's just the cake has to mature.

[bella]

i think it's only speculative to bring in magnussen if you're not in mclaren's position and know exactly what they're dealing with. remember they've been very closely involved with his career for a number of years. much like red bull with kvyat, they're easily the best placed to make any kind of decision about what he's capable of and best suited to handle.

[Knowlesy]

We all thought they were mad to plonk Hamilton next to Alonso.

Well, OK, they were. But for very different reasons than we envisaged.

[chunterer]

The bottom line is the only justifiable reason for replacing Checo would be if if the Slims aren't interested enough in financing McLaren. The team cannot blame him for poor results in what has been such a bad year for the car against a hugely experience teammate.

If Perez had provided poor results in a better car like Kovy in his 2 seasons or HHF with Williams in 1997, for example then it would be fair enough but he hasn't he's been let down by the car and the few accidents have been a result of overtrying to overcome deficiencies.

I still think he runs the risk of being made a scapegoat here....

[Paradise City]

Originally Posted by Knowlesy

We all thought they were mad to plonk Hamilton next to Alonso.

Well, OK, they were. But for very different reasons than we envisaged.

Hambo was testing away like there was no tomorrow before he turned a lap in anger. With testing so restricted, Magnussen - not to mention the rest of the rookies - doesn't have the same opportunity to dial themselves in. I would expect Magnussen's development to be painful and prolonged if he was put into a top drive straight away.

[Knowlesy]

True.

[Moneyseeker]

Originally Posted by Paradise City

Hambo was testing away like there was no tomorrow before he turned a lap in anger. With testing so restricted, Magnussen - not to mention the rest of the rookies - doesn't have the same opportunity to dial themselves in. I would expect Magnussen's development to be painful and prolonged if he was put into a top drive straight away.

KM will go to Marussia along with lots of free McLaren kit and support.

[BSchneiderFan]

Despite Marussia running Ferrari engines?

[Biscuits In A Red Bull]

Still possible. Who does he have to oust? Max Chilton. Make a sane decision. Magnussen can bring McLaren support, Chilton can bring some sponsorship. KM probably has several sponsors on board that are willing to get involved with F1 payments anyway...

[Marbot]

Perhaps "kit and support" is criminal terminology for 'photocopying equipment'?

[Mr V]

More and more rumours suggesting that KM will replace Perez in 2014. Maybe that's to get him prepared to partner Alonso in 2015 ?

[b1ackcr0w]

If I were Fezza, Mclaren or Merc, I'd be looking at what Red Bull and Torro Rosso have done with the PFF and Ricciarco, and wondering if an alliance with a "junior" team to cut the rough edges off the young talent, might be a good, if very costly idea. Having access to actual data about a potential driver's style and performance before you hire him for your main team, must be very useful.

[bella]

the only downside is that to keep drivers coming through at a decent rate to keep both seats in a team busy you have to hedge your bets like red bull and spend £5million a year minimum on the non-f1 stuff for a couple of drivers. then a market value for the drivers seat in f1, etc etc. to try and find one driver for a revolving door seat isn't going to cost much less.

mclaren are both lucky and unlucky that magnussen (who they've supported for longer than 2 years as that article seems to suggest - thats just when they decided to call it a thing rather than impromptu driver development) and vandoorne are only really a year or two apart. it's their version of the jev and ricciardo problem toro rosso have had.

[wnut]

the only downside is that to keep drivers coming through at a decent rate to keep both seats in a team busy you have to hedge your bets like red bull and spend £5million a year minimum on the non-f1 stuff for a couple of drivers. then a market value for the drivers seat in f1, etc etc. to try and find one driver for a revolving door seat isn't going to cost much less. [Bella]

This would fit in very nicely with taking as much money from the young driver's sponsors as possible.
Create a development program with an apparently clear path to the main prize, an F1 seat!

A whole pool of future sponsors, time for the teams to expand into GP2 and GP3, no wonder the FIA has Gerhard Berger working on developing a money, sorry development path for young drivers!

[Dragger]

Originally Posted by b1ackcr0w

If I were Fezza, Mclaren or Merc, I'd be looking at what Red Bull and Torro Rosso have done with the PFF and Ricciarco, and wondering if an alliance with a "junior" team to cut the rough edges off the young talent, might be a good, if very costly idea. Having access to actual data about a potential driver's style and performance before you hire him for your main team, must be very useful.

McLaren need to work on KEEPING the good talent 1st. They invested a lot of time developing Hamilton, and he skipped town.

They need to work on keeping a top level competitive car too, that's the best way to get the top talented drivers.