F1 Drivers Set to Pay a Lot More for a Racing ‘Superlicense’
The FIA has dealt a blow to the bank accounts of its Formula One drivers today, in the hopes that the governing body can help to ensure a safer future for all racers in the sport.
FIA president Max Mosley confirmed today that F1’s governors have voted to raise the cost of the sport’s superlicense, a mandatory document for all drivers on the grid.
(Click through the jump to find out how much the drivers will have to pay.)
Last season the superlicense cost a basic fee of around $2,550, with about $674 added on for each championship point scored; a drop in the bucket when compared with the wealth of the average F1 driver. This season however, the FIA has raised the basic fee to just under $15,000, with a whopping $3,000 or so added for each point scored.
At that rate, last year’s world champion Kimi Raikkonen would owe a hefty fee of around $340,000 just for the right to drive his F1 ride. While even that high number represents a small percentage of Kimi’s income, it will certainly add up quickly in the FIA coffers.
An additional bit that the drivers don’t care for is the fact that, traditionally, drivers and not teams pay for the superlicense. Mosley has already reported that he’s heard from some unnamed racers, asking if he was aware of the situation. The president said he “never imagined anyone else picking up the tab.
Comments
Reilly
In many ways this makes sense, but in many ways it does not make sense. Typically the richer the driver, the less inherently talented they are (see Daytona where a lot of surgeons are paying $150,000 USD to race a GT). Of course there are ranges where this will be a detractor for a lot of drivers.
Greg
This would seem much more fair if Mosley was going to contribute a similar percentage of his FIA income to the fund.
The Stig
The FIA didn't collect enough out of McLaren's fine last year? And this is going to reduce costs, which Mosley has been crying about F1 needing? Go away Mosley. Let someone with some common sense run the place.
chartguy
Greed, pure and simple, defines F1.
Russ Bellinis
Bernie needs more money, so now he is using Max tro go after the drivers. This would not be bad if there was a guarrantee that the FIA would match all funds, and that the funds could not be used for anything that did not directly effect safety. As far as the suggestion that the highest paid drivers are potentially the least able to drive, hat may be true in some series, but definately not in formula 1. Formula 1 drivers don't buy their rides. Probably the only better dirvers in the world are World Ralley Championship drivers and perhaps they aren't better, just in a different discipline.
Irving Isler
The F1 has become so boring an inane I don't really pay any attention to it; except for the "you won't believe what they're doing now" posts like this one. It's motor sport's daytime soap - and one that's slowly turning into a sitcom.
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