raymondu999 wrote:Cam wrote:While of course you can respect Perez for what he has done, when you line him up against Button - who do you respect more?
To be fair, Cam - who you respect more has no bearing whatsoever on whether or not you respect the guy. Sure I'd respect Button more - but that doesn't mean I don't respect Perez.
I feel that in the context of this discussion, the word "respect" perhaps is a bit misleading. I agree that
respect (as a person) is pretty much a requirement for someone to hire anyone. I do think however that Cam was using it in the context of who you give 'lead input' when designing your car for next year. This will surely be Button, for reasons that are logical: Button has a history with the team, he is a
known quantity, in that the team knows how he drives, what his preferences are, how he communicates and what he means when he brings something to the table. He has experience with the car and the team, which is a valuable asset.
That doesn't mean that Perez won't be listened to when they're at the drawing board. I do think though that his input will be quite a bit more limited, having driven a completely different car last year. He'll more or less say what he's used to, perhaps talk about how things were set-up at Sauber (because that's what he can relate to), but follow Buttons lead on things he has yet to learn and find out for himself.
This doesn't always have to be like that though. Who gets "lead input" (or to what extend) pretty much depends on the image you've built up, your history and your perceived quality/image when you join a new team. I'm sure any team Michael Schumacher would join, regardless who his team-mate is, he will have substantial weight in what he brings to the drawing board, purely due to his status, his history and his experience. I would think the same applies for Alonso too - given he's raced at the very top teams, is a two time world champion - logically, his input carries weight - any team he joins, people will tend to look up at him and take note of what he says.
Hamilton going to Mercedes will be similar. Although he is the new kid at the factory compared to Rosberg and is yet to know the staff and engineers and bond with them, his experties and success as a long time McLaren driver will lead to interest in what he has to say. He comes from a highly successful team and given the shape Mercedes is in at this time, they will be all ears to any change or experience he can bring, to hopefully up their prospects. I would expect his word to be of very high value, irregardless what Rosberg does or wants. Of course, Rosberg's input will be equally important - as he knows the team, and especially the car.
