Here are some stats, for comparison. Alguersuari, while he scored less points (but 8 points versus 5 is hardly decisive), appears to have driven a more consistent season.
Alguersuari:
% finished in points = 15.8%
% finished 11th or better = 42.1%
% finished 12th or better = 57.9%
% finished 13th or worse = 42.1%
Buem:
% finished in points = 21.1%
% finished 11th or better = 31.6%
% finished 12th or better = 47.4%
% finished 13th or worse = 52.6%
Hülkenberg made Maldonado look daft when they were in the same cars in GP2, even though it was Hulks rookie season and Maldonado was in his second season. Fair enough Maldonado did win this years GP2, but it wasn't exactly the strongest GP2 field ever. Anybody who says his appointment is about anything but money is a liar. I hope Hulk gets a drive, he deserves it a lot more than some of the garbage pay drivers.
And well, I think this year's GP2 field was fine, lots of promising talents around IMO, but most of them still lack of consistancy. Maldonado won by being in the pace everywhere(until he got that title, since he messed up big time the last few rounds), and by being always very strong in feature race, though he wasn't the best in quali. Sure, he had a big advantage with his experience, but he went and took the title, we can't deny that afterall, though he might have not been the most impressive in the past.
I think he is despised because he is a paying driver and because he often acts daft in traffic situations. Otherwise it doesn't chock me to see him in F1, of course he probably isn't worth an Hulkenberg, but still
What i don't get is, most the f1 teams have reduced spending under the concorde agreement yet pay drivers are more apparent then ever, whats going wrong then?
What's happening? Motorsport is quite well developed. If you show a reasonable amount of speed then with enough funds you could be developed to a high enough level you can enter F1 without embarrassing yourself. No longer are pay drivers the risk they once were. A driver can bring in significant sums, and still perform to a high enough level that it makes financial sense. Pastor is going to be pretty good.
Teams haven't imposed a spending cap, just a commitment to reduce spending. Either way if someone rocks up with $15,000,000 on the table you will take it. Especially if ur a team in financial trouble, which I suspect Williams is after ditching the very good Hulk. Also, Williams also needs the investment to develop it's other commercial interests, though don't just do F1 any more. They have hybrid technology departments etc.... Money coming in is very important for a team like them as they have to run as a business not just a race team which just looks to break even.
I do however see state-backed drivers as a serious change in F1. Prices for seats are going to go through the roof. We have only maybe 3-4 teams right now in F1 who are not interested in pay-drivers, but that can soon change once countries start offering £20mil, £40 mil, even £100mil. Even then, when a team looks to hire talent where do they look? Everything is so money driven now, more so than it has ever been.
Is this good for F1 credentials as a sport? Nope, probably not. But as long as viewers turn on their TV to watch the 20 so-called best drivers on the planet, nothing will change.
I should have added that the he will achieve above expectations. Reason being that when people think of pay-drivers they think of past guys who were useless. but with advances in driver training, as well as access to race cars and their increasing ease of use, pay-drivers can get up to a decent standard. Hence we'll hear "people doubted him at the start, but this result proves he's F1 standard" a lot by TV companies justifying why they spend huge amounts of money following this show around the world
In the modern era of next to zero testing, it's a bit silly to expect a rookie to out-score an opponent who spent the second half of 2009 outscoring the eventual world champion.
Disagree. Apart from his Hollywood moment in Brazil he had a solid but unspectacular season of steady progress. 8th place was about right. I'm surprised that people are so blinded by hype.
But TV sez so?