McLaren: How much better than Perez was Button in 2013?

In the next of our series of analysis of the head-to-head records of team mate pairings, we look at Jenson Button and Sergio Perez’s season toget...

In the next of our series of analysis of the head-to-head records of team mate pairings, we look at Jenson Button and Sergio Perez’s season together at McLaren.

With Lewis Hamilton leaving for Mercedes, Button had a new team mate for 2013 in the form of Perez. The Mexican joined the Woking-Based outfit after a strong season for Sauber where he scored three podiums and came close to winning the 2012 Malaysian Grand Prix.

It proved to be a difficult year for McLaren, who failed to score a single podium all season for the first time since 1980. The team kept faith in Button, signing the Briton for a fifth year in 2014, but Perez was not kept on with Dane Kevin Magunessen getting the nod.

Was Perez unlucky to lose his seat? Well in qualifying, Button and Perez were pretty much neck and neck, with Perez actually edging it 10-9. Button led the head-to-head 7-3 at the mid-point to the season, as Perez adjusted to his new team, but the Mexican had the upper hand in the second half, coming out 7-2 ahead.

Button scored the team’s best grid slot – sixth in Belgium – while Perez’s best was seventh, which he managed in Monaco and the United States.

When it came to the races, Button was the more consistent, scoring points 14 times and his 4th place in Brazil was the team's best result of the season. However, Perez wasn’t that far behind with 11 points finishes. They were well-matched in the breakdown, too, with Button scoring points seven times to Perez’s five in the first half and edging it 7-6 in the second half.

Both drivers had a highest finish of fifth coming into the final race of the season, but Button improved on that by a single position with fourth in the season finale in Brazil.

When both cars finished, Button comfortably came out on top 13 times to Perez’s six. And in terms of championship points, Button scored 73 to Perez’s 49 which equated to ninth and 11th respectively in the drivers’ standings.

Check out the statistics below which show that while Button beat his team mate overall, it was closer than it looked.

Button v Perez stats compared (highest respective tally in bold)

THIS SEASON

Qualifying 

Faster qualifying time: Button 9 / Perez 10 

Poles: Button 0 / Perez 0 

Front rows: Button 0 / Perez 0

Best qualifying finish: Button 6th (Belgium) / Perez 7th (Monaco and US)

Races 

Wins: Button 0 / Perez 0

 Poles: Button 0 / Perez 0 

Points finishes: Button 14 / Perez 11  

DNFs: Button 0 / Perez 0  

Ahead in two-car finish: Button 13 / Perez 6

Highest finish: Button 4th (Brazil) / Perez 5th (India)

Championship 

Points: Button 73 / Perez 49

Championship placing: Button 9th / Perez 11

BREAKDOWN OF SEASON

First 10 races

Out-qualified team-mate: Button 7 Perez 3

Wins: Button 0 Perez 0

Podiums: Button 0 Perez 0

Points finishes: Button 7 Perez 5

Retirements: Button 0 Perez 0

Final nine races

Outqualified team-mate: Button 2 Perez 7

Wins: Button 0 Perez 0

Podiums: Button 0 Perez 0

Points finishes: Button 7 Perez 6

Retirements: Button 0 Perez 0

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