2011 Team mates comparison - #5 Toro Rosso

Galahad

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The latest review compares two drivers who lost their seats at the end of the year - Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari.

ToroRosso.jpg


For a full explanation of the chart, see the previous Force India thread.

Q2 times have been used for the qualifying comparisons in all cases except MON, CAN, EUR, GBR, HUN and ITA, where Q1 times have been used due to either driver failing to progress. For PRC the Q3 times have been used. Note that in Hungary only Alguersuari used the softer tyre in qualification. The overall qualifying comparison therefore excludes Hungary, as well as the two wet races.

Here also are the actual qualifying and finishing positions:

AUSMALPRCTURESPMONCANGBRGERHUNBELITASGPJPNKORINDABUBRA
Buemi (Q)1012916111615192423111614151391314
Buemi (R)813149141010R158R1012R9RR12
Alguersuari (Q)1213717131918181616618161611101513
Alguersuari (R)1114R1616R8101210R72115781511

Once again it was a pretty close thing between these two, with Buemi slightly edging it in both qualifying and race performances. Here too there was a clear season of two halves, with Buemi dominating the first part, qualifying ahead 7-1 in the first eight races, and finishing in the points four times over the same period. Alguersuari was, however, able to score some good results starting from the 'lucky' 18th spot, taking advantage of additional sets of fresh tyres in the races.

From Silverstone onwards, the qualifying picture was much closer, with Alguersuari quicker in the two wet sessions, Korea and Brazil, though the margins in all cases were small. Hungary should be disregarded as the two ran on different tyre compounds. In the races things were similarly tight, Alguersuari probably edging it over the second half of the season, though Buemi suffered more retirements than his Spanish colleague.

The chart shows clearly how Alguersuari saved his seat from the threat of Daniel Ricciardo by picking his performance up in the mid-season period, but ultimately it's easy to conclude that this pair were too difficult to separate, and that it was tough to justify keeping one, and firing the other.
 
Nice work again G.

I can't help but agree with your summation that it was both or neither and personally I believe Toro Rosso made the correct decision.
 
Good work Galahad,

It'll be interesting to compare these two to Ricciardo and Vergne at te end of this season.

But i do however think that Buemi has been very unlucky to lose his seat especially after he retired from a few gp's at the end of the season through no fault of his own my i add!
 
I think Galahad's summary proves Buemi was the better driver out of the two since qualifying, race performance edge towards him, the only thing that let him down was luck and bad reliability, something Alguersuari had was luck and solid reliability.

Am not hating on Alguersuari at all, I think he's good and is growing. But out of the 3 seasons these two have been paired, Buemi comes out as the best of the two in all seasons.

I am eager to see the next two Toro Rosso drivers race against each other after all the hype, it should be a great battle.

But it think Buemi was hard done by, wish Webber retired in 2011.
 
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