Button <--- Perez ---> Kobayashi

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Race Winner
In the last few years or for a lot of us (like me) post 2009 when we took notice we have all been saying how smooth Buttons style is and how he can therefore make the tyres last and give him pace over a longer period etc. Especially last year when it was most critical.

"Smooth" and "tyre preservation" seem to actually mean "Jenson Button" these days.

Then of course Perez arrived in style las year by being the only driver capable of stopping only once in Melbourne and getting it into the points. It then seemed that Sauber wanted to recreate this scenario at many races and I believe I am right in saying he had the fewest pitstops for tyres last year? And so he spent a lot of races going very long distances into a stint.

Now of course he has repeated his melbourne 1 stopper and got a magnificent 2nd place in Malaysia, albeit the conditions helped.

So which of the two drivers do you think has the smoother style and the best time at controlling the tyres?


Kobayashi Vs Perez

Last year Kobayashi continued on his brilliant debut season by more than doubling Perez's score, even though he was anonamous in the 2nd half of the year, where Perez got more points.

In 2009/10 we were all raving about Kobayashi. With Perez's podium though it is going to be nigh on impossible for him to beat Perez this season and its doubtful he would have done so anyway. If or when Perez beats Kobayashi this year and goes to ferrari or stays where he is. What do you see for Kobayashi? Is he going to move up the grid or will he be with Sauber for years to come?
 
I spent a lot of time debating over Kobayashi and Pérez this season, primarily for the Fantasy F1.
What I realised is that I have more faith in Pérez to pick up points than Kobayashi.

I suppose this is partly related to how long Pérez seems to be able to make the tyres last but also because he doesn't seem to be regarded as a crash-magnet, as Kobayashi is, however fair or unfair that is.

As such, I expect to see Pérez pulling away from Kobayashi this year and you could see several teams chasing him for 2013.

I wouldn't like to see him move to Ferrari though. With Alonso there that would kill any chances he has of picking up wins and a WDC.
 
Both drivers are very talented in their own ways. Both have become stars in their relatively short careers thus far, however I believe that Perez's style may suite the new regulations more so than Kobash. It will be an interesting story to watch develop and I hope both of them have lots of success in their career.
 
I wouldn't count Kobi out just yet. I agree that second place makes it a bit target to hit but lets not forget Kobi also has more points than he did this time last year and the one thing he had over Perez last season was consistancy.

Although he's labeled a crash magnet Kamui was actually able to pull off something last season that no one out of the top 4 teams could do last year - consistant points finishing. He had 6 in a row last year which would have been 7 but for DQ on a car technicality in Aus. The most Perez managed was 2 in a row and he did it once. Also worth drawing attention to it the getting results under pressure factor. As we went into the 2 last GP's of last year Sauber were in danager of slipping down the constructors championship and ending up behind a very much improved Toro Rosso team and needed to get some steady points finishes to secure their place plus funding and when it came down to it the driver that got them results was Kobi not Perez despite Perez being the form driver in the second half of the season. Whilst I'm not saying Perez choked or something the ability to score results when the pressure is on is def something that has to be learned and it seemed Kobi had it and Perez didn't.

Perez is a great driver though. I think it only took a couple of Grand Prix last year for most of us to start speculating about him getting that Ferrari seat and whilst I do him down for his lack of consistancy and under pressure results it was his rookie year in F1 and why did Ferrari put him in the Sauber drive? For him to learn and I have no doubt he has so I'm sure we'll see more consistancy and him getting bigger results under pressure.

The likelyhood is he will finish ahead of Kobi points wise this year but I think it'll end up closer than you think and in no way will it reflect badly on Kobash. To be honest if Perez hadn''t had such a competitive team mate to be up against would he have come to the fore so quickly? As for what it will mean for Kamui I'd have to say unless he has a nightmare for the rest of the season the his spot at Sauber is pretty safe. Peter Sauber took a gamble on him based on 2 decent Grand Prix and I don't think he could be happier with him as he's certainly helped bring that team back from the brink. I'd love to see Kobi get a shot at one of the bigger teams because I think time and time again he's shown when he's given a chance he grabs it with two hands but I'm kind of resigned to the fact the offer will never come and he'll forever remain that Sauber driver who gets you on the edge of your seat when he starts mixing it with the big boys. Lets face it thats why so many people love Kobi and Perez its that feeling in your stomach when you watch them going for results you know they shouldn't get. We all had it with Kobi at Monaco and Canada last year and we all had it on Sunday with Perez - for most of us its why we love F1.

So Perez to Ferrari next year and if Lewis leaves Mclaren can we have Kamui in his seat please?
 
Both good prospects if there are places available at the top teams - Perez may have an edge with the Ferrari link already there.

Kamui certainly improved last year with regular good points scored, and Sergio's debut season was excellent when you take into account the disqualification in Australia (which must a been a real downer, no pun intended) and then the big accident in Monaco.

Perez, at only 22, has a little bit more time to get experience before a big move, while Kobayashi is still only 25!

The only problem for both is that, as they get that experience, the next 'hot property' could leap-frog them into the better seat.
 
In the last few years or for a lot of us (like me) post 2009 when we took notice we have all been saying how smooth Buttons style is and how he can therefore make the tyres last and give him pace over a longer period etc. Especially last year when it was most critical.

"Smooth" and "tyre preservation" seem to actually mean "Jenson Button" these days.

Then of course Perez arrived in style las year by being the only driver capable of stopping only once in Melbourne and getting it into the points. It then seemed that Sauber wanted to recreate this scenario at many races and I believe I am right in saying he had the fewest pitstops for tyres last year? And so he spent a lot of races going very long distances into a stint.

Now of course he has repeated his melbourne 1 stopper and got a magnificent 2nd place in Malaysia, albeit the conditions helped.

So which of the two drivers do you think has the smoother style and the best time at controlling the tyres?


Kobayashi Vs Perez

Last year Kobayashi continued on his brilliant debut season by more than doubling Perez's score, even though he was anonamous in the 2nd half of the year, where Perez got more points.

In 2009/10 we were all raving about Kobayashi. With Perez's podium though it is going to be nigh on impossible for him to beat Perez this season and its doubtful he would have done so anyway. If or when Perez beats Kobayashi this year and goes to ferrari or stays where he is. What do you see for Kobayashi? Is he going to move up the grid or will he be with Sauber for years to come?


I should just add that a lot of us had sat up and taken notice a long time before 2009.... 1998 was a watershed year in FFord, and even then JB's smoothness was apparent.... Qualifying sessions like Spa '00 showed this in spades, as did the whole of 2004!!!
 
Its been suggested that Kobayashi may be like Hamilton in that he was more suited to the era of being able to thrash your tyres for longer and really drive aggresively and just go for it. As opposed to the Pirelli era when you have to really treat the fragile tyres as though your paying for them yourself.

I've noticed that at this point in time he has done 21 grand prix in both the bridgestone drive for your life era and the Pirelli be careful era.

And in the bridgestone era he has 9 points scoring finishes to his name. Compared to the Pirelli era where he has 11 point scoring finishes to his name (including melbourne 2011).

Make of that what you will.


Anyway anyone reckon he will get ahead of Perez in the standings tomorrow?
 
Its been suggested that Kobayashi may be like Hamilton in that he was more suited to the era of being able to thrash your tyres for longer and really drive aggresively and just go for it. As opposed to the Pirelli era when you have to really treat the fragile tyres as though your paying for them yourself.

I've noticed that at this point in time he has done 21 grand prix in both the bridgestone drive for your life era and the Pirelli be careful era.

And in the bridgestone era he has 9 points scoring finishes to his name. Compared to the Pirelli era where he has 11 point scoring finishes to his name (including melbourne 2011).

Make of that what you will.


Anyway anyone reckon he will get ahead of Perez in the standings tomorrow?

I've never really gone for that theory as one of the first times you can say he had a great drive was Abu Dhabi 2009 where in his second grand prix where he pulled a pefect one stop strategy to get a high points scoring finishing and beating quite a lot of big names.

Don't know about getting ahead of Perez in the standings but its sure gonna be fun watching!
 
Find it surprising it's Kobayashi that lines up in 3rd rather than Perez, as most people seem to note that Perez is the better qualifier. Well not this time!
 
Just realised after Malaysia when it looked certain Kobayashi would Lose to Perez by a big margin, after Spain he has clawed his way back to being only 3 points behind again and he has 1 more points scoring finish than his teammate.
 
Yep and he reckoned he could have had a podium without being hit by traffic in Quali apparently. Never write Kobi off!
 
Kobayashi seems to have adapted very quickly to the tyres and Perez' advantage in quali has reduced, they both seem much better with these tyres than Button, Kobayashi so confident as he passed that he could even bleed some speed off by nudging JBs car, but its going to be very interesting to see the Koba vs Perez fight through the season
 
Actually it seems to me that the so called smother drivers are loosing out on this years rubber especially Jenson as he seems either not to able to get the tyres up to working temp or maintain the working temperature when in traffic and on cool tracks I've got this nasty feeling that Button is heading for a Webber 2011 year...
 
Yeah I'm not sure, It took me until about Spa last year to consider the possibility that Button might beat Hamilton, it was the 2nd half of the year where he really nailed it.

I for one won't be writing Button out based on Barcalona
 
Well Perez did qualify higher out of the two and had a great start up into 4th until Grosjean sliced his tyre, so if he was still in the race, I probably think he might have finished ahead of Kobayashi.
 
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