Perez is in my fold of 3, and what that means is that he is fast, smart, has an acceptable level of minding the rules of the road, and has the potential to be a WDC. Like Kimi and Seb, he has shown a keen ability to focus and a determination to win - so I had an eye on him from the start. Last season I collected him regularly into the fold and I have the expectation that he will be a stellar racer. I was not at all surprised when his name was being tossed around for major drives and I believe he will do famously at McLaren.
Every driver is distinct in style and their trajectory in F1 is equally distinct. He is still what I consider to be a rookie, so I expect mistakes and misjudgment - these things are normal and won't affect my opinion of his ability.
But the question is, how will he fare against Button? All things considered, new team, new direction, new circumstances - well only time will tell, but I do not believe that he either requires or desires "big brother Button". That said, Button is an execellent driver to learn from in many ways and Perez, as a young driver, would be nuts not to take advantage of that. Of course I don't want him to become Button II, but rather, take in those valuable lessons that Button can teach and adapt them to his style. Over the course of the next year, he can go far, and the sky is the limit as time goes on. Button is fairly easy to get on with from all appearances - he has his moments - but on the whole, he is not a master of kaos in the garage. Don't get me wrong, that can be a good thing as such a teammate can push a driver to succeed; however, it has its downsides too. We will see how that pans out.
It would not surprise me if he excelled over Button or visa versa. I don't think any excuses are needed (car developed for Button, Perez younger, etc.) - I think that we will see the development of yet another great driver in Perez and that is the only thing of any importance. Predictions of how close they would be are equally difficult to guess. But I am not at all unhappy with the idea of waiting and seeing what he will do in combination with a McLaren that is equal or better than Sauber's 'best' days for the most part.
Go Checo Go!
Edited by bourbon, 13 December 2012 - 03:26.