which driver will gain most from 2014 regs ?

[lebesset]

it is pretty clear already that some new driving techniques will be required to extract the maximum from the 2014 cars

although we don't know enough to be able to estimate the relative performance of the offerings from the various teams it seems axiomatic that some drivers will be better able to adapt than others ; although their car may not be a championship winning one , in relative terms they will gain

from comments from development drivers doing simulator work , and comments elsewhere , we already know that tyre usage will continue to be of major importance ,and that fuel consumption , already a consideration , will gain in importance

so my candidate for biggest gainer is Button ; his instinct is for smooth precise lines which optimise both tyre wear and fuel consumption even though he is penalised by his size ; if McLaren produce a competitive car and Pirelli produce tyres to his taste he could even be WDC next year

[PlatinumZealot]

Button can't handle torque oversteer so he is definitely gonna lose in my opinion.

[rapha-78]

I think all drivers who have lots of experience ( button alonso raikonnen ) will gain most from 2014 regs because they know how to develop a complete new car with new regulations and because of their huge experience if think they will be able to apapt their driving styles to a less downforce car.
I think in the begginning vettel will suffer as in 2012 with almost no downforce compared to 2013

[Manoah2u]

any driver whom best handles the material handed to him will gain the best in any situation.

[MOWOG]

Since this is all idle speculation, wouldn't it be a hoot if Felipe Massa was able to excel under the new regs and beat both Fernando AND Raikonen on track? By God, I would pay to see Luca's face if that happened!

[lebesset]

Button can't handle torque oversteer so he is definitely gonna lose in my opinion.

what evidence do you have for your statement that he can't handle torque oversteer ?

[lebesset]

Since this is all idle speculation, wouldn't it be a hoot if Felipe Massa was able to excel under the new regs and beat both Fernando AND Raikonen on track? By God, I would pay to see Luca's face if that happened!

wouldn't that be wonderful ? williams AND massa back to form at the same time !

[raymondu999]

almost no downforce compared to 2013

Quite an exaggeration, that.

IMO the drivers will all adapt anyways. I think the regs will benefit Button, BECAUSE of his style - when was the last we saw him sliding the rear sideways on power? Not doing that is a big boon in 2014.

Here's an excerpt about driving styles vs turbos.

As ever, it all depends upon circumstance and conditions. Back in the turbo days, the oversteering Keke Rosberg could not hold a candle at McLaren to the understeering Alain Prost – and for John Barnard, the team's technical director of the time, the reason was very simple: "Alain would set the car up in a way that to any other driver would feel like it had massive understeer, but he had a way of getting the car into the corner early [with his overlapping of braking and cornering], which for a turbo was fantastic, because it meant he could get early on the power and we could give him some traction. Keke, by contrast, was last of the late brakers and really liked to turn the car very quickly. To do that you need a set-up that's a bit light on rear grip – and that just wasn't the way with these cars because it meant you didn't have the traction to use all that huge power."

[tim|away]

Here is my best guess: The drivers with the most analytical approach will find it easier to adjust to 2014. Smart management of resources will be even more important than in the previous years. According to Mark Webber there is no one better suited to this than Vettel and I would personally add Rosberg to that. The big losers would be drivers that rely on their natural speed more than anything. It''s a year that would be perfectly suited to thinkers like Alain Prost and probably horrible for the outright racer like Senna.

[Juzh]

Button can't handle torque oversteer so he is definitely gonna lose in my opinion.

Not only that, he also can't cope with understeer. We've seen time after time how button is nowhere when the car is not perfectly neutral front and rear ("no grip" phrase) while ham is flying into the distance. Next years cars will be all about oversteer, so Ham could potentially come out on top.
We've also seen Rai struggling this year when the balance shifted to the front (aka oversteer) in his LWB compared to grosjan.
Alonso can pretty much deal with anything that is thrown at him as far as I know. Given the choice he does prefer understeer, so it'll be interesting to see what he does next year.
Vettel is a bit hard to judge. All pointers suggest he'll be the biggest looser next year, but it's still a bit of stretch to expect him to massively struggle.

[Anon123]

I think all drivers who have lots of experience ( button alonso raikonnen ) will gain most from 2014 regs because they know how to develop a complete new car with new regulations and because of their huge experience if think they will be able to apapt their driving styles to a less downforce car.
I think in the begginning vettel will suffer as in 2012 with almost no downforce compared to 2013

I agree on Vettel, he may be a very analytical and clever driver but he won't be able to get into a car that is glued to the road, when his car isn't quite there he gets frustrated and makes mistakes like at the start of 2012. I think Lewis and Fernando will be the best at managing their cars if they turn out to be a bit twitchy as many expect.

[Chuckjr]

This all does not bode well for Hammy, who requires all kinds of speciality and bespoke designs to perform in a car. I mean, how much of the Merc design (brake discs and the like) written about here for him exemplifies that this situation does not add up well for him at all.

[rifrafs2kees]

Button can't handle torque oversteer so he is definitely gonna lose in my opinion.

I'm bet you he will do very well. I'm sure he's sensitive enough on the pedals to prevent spin ups. If mclaren gets his mapping right, he'll be damn good in my opinion

[Manoah2u]

button can't handle torque oversteer? what utter bs, have you forgotten his stunning win in the wet canadian GP where he flew past everybody? including 'rainking' schumacher, hamilton [who crashed] etc.?

if anybody, Button would be benefitting the most. It is true that it seems he's more sensitive to car set-up than other drivers,
but despite that, may I remind you that not mentioning the 2013 season where mclaren killed any title aspirations for both McL drivers with that horrible car;
that in 2012 Button was until late in the season still in the running for WDC? and ended just 2 points shy of hamilton, to whom the entire team and car were built for and upon?
that in 2011 Button was second in the WDC?? almost 50 points ahead of HAM and 12 points ahead a much stronger RB?
that in 2010 Button was just behind Hamilton in his maiden Mclaren season?
that in 2009 Button was world champion? [in a new F1 format]

So really, what base do you really have for thinking 'button can't handle torque' as if you are in the knowledge there?

I still can't believe people are downplaying on Button, he's a top-class driver and deserved that 2009 championship.
And he made a smart move leaving the BrawnGP team that became Merc in 2010 because it didn't perform at all.
Instead, he sat next to Hamilton at Mclaren, and where everybody said it was a stupid move and he'd be completely blown to bits by Hamilton, the opposite was true: he was straight away right up there with Hamilton, actually won the second GP [AUS] in his new MCL team. 4th race; again! [China]. Second year at Mcl, with a car adapted more to his liking,
he was second in the WDC, with Hamilton 5th, leaving Webber and Alonso behind him.

Button's capability isn't up for debate. He has shown his capabilities time and time and belongs right up there in the best teams. Even if he hasn't shown the absolute speed and potential in the likes of Hamilton and Alonso, fact remains though that despite that, he is right up there with them, or even beats them. Be reminded that before 2009, Button didn't have a topteam car like Hamilton did straight away. Alonso drove for various topteams whilst securing his title.
But if you'd count as of 2009; Button has been continiously up there.
The 2013 mclaren without any doubt was a absolute dog of a car - and it's rediculous to say that now Button is the 'leading man' in the team, 'he' shows 'he' can't develop a car.....The decision to go for the pullrod suspension in no way was Button's decision, and i'm absolutely sure Button would have preferred an evolution of the 2012 Mclaren which suited him well rather then a completely overhauled dog of a 2013 car.

I hope Mclaren provides a very good 2014 F1 competitor car, and Button shows 'em all to repeat his 2009 season. I'd welcome a second world championship title for Jenson. He deserves it, and even though I rate Hamilton very high as a driver, and he has had great reason to complain the past Mclaren years, but Button had the same car and had same MCL team errors, he didn't complain lik a b*tch diva hamilton did.

I hope Button gets a strong '14 Mclaren, or that he is able to stay long enough with Mclaren to secure a 2015 Honda Title.
If not, hope he'll replace Alonso at Ferrari or ricciardo at RedBull in 2015 and homes in another Title.

[ChrisF1]

So, you think that Mclaren built the 2012 Mclaren around Hamilton, but you say in 2011 Button was much better than Hamilton.

Why would Mclaren back the weaker driver?

Oh, because they didn't build the car around Hamilton at all.