So the pairing of Hulk and Perez has come to an end. These two - perhaps with Maldonado, Di Resta and Grosjean, maybe Ricciardo at a push - form what I'd characterise as a specific generation of drivers to make it into F1. They are as distinct from the Hamilton, Piquet, Vettel generation as they are from Verstappen, Sainz, Werhlein (maybe Guittierez was on the cusp) etc.
So it was interesting seeing them go head to head because it gave us the chance to directly compare two of the better drivers from that generation.
To start with, here are some stats:
qualifying
2014 Hulk 12-7 Perez; hulk wins by .473
2015 Hulk 11-8 Perez; hulk wins by .395
2016 Hulk 12-9 Perez; hulk wins by .071
Overall: Hulk 35-24
drivers' championship points
2014 Hulk 96;Perez 59
2015 Hulk 58; Perez 78
2016 Hulk 72; Perez 101
Overall: Hulk 226; Perez 238
Podiums: Hulk 0; Perez 4
So the temptation would be to conclude that Hulkenberg is the quicker over one lap and Perez the better over race distances - but I'd suggest that's overly facile.
What's particularly interesting is how their battle has changed over the years, with Perez performing better as the years passed - incidentally (or not, you decide) as Force India's constructors championship position has improved.
I would suggest that it is less that Perez driving better has helped Force India to do better and more that having a better car has enabled him to drive better; Hulkenberg seems like the more consistent performer in both qualifying and races but Perez has a style that can pay off massively in particular conditions.
I believe that - should we get more durable tyres in 2017 - drivers who are 'faster' (I.e. Those usually winning intra team qualifying battles) - will benefit and the particular conditions in which Perez thrived will prove less regular. So were I a team principal choosing a driver, I would personally still choose Hulkenberg - even though he scored fewer points than Perez two years running.
Interested to hear the thoughts of others though - hence the thread