True, but one would presume he isn't looking for a paycut in negotiations for next year, whoever he is talking with!

His salary was based off of the media hype around him back in 2005.

Kimi for 45m vs. Massa for 8m. For the same performance.

Any more questions on why Kimi was fired and not Massa?

Well as I said, his salary based on something Ferrari believed will create them even more value... And it did create their latest WDC and WCC...
If you think Ferrari was stupid to pay what they did, then it is your opinnion, but you did not loose any money in the process either

I know Kimi was payed more than Massa, but the difference is never that huge. If it is I think Massa should hire new management agency

Robertsons seems to be worth every penny. Not very good management from Nicolas Todt, even though he could negotiate with Jean.

I heard the $8 million figure thrown around for Webber, not sure about Vettel.

Although Massa at least kept his seat at Ferrari....

Raikonnen should drive for free for the next 3 years , or the new employers should pay Ferrari.... cos he is absolutely raping them

But under a new team director (called F.A.), who will make sure that the team gathers around the other driver (called F.A.), that the car development (under the guidance of F.A.) is suiting the other driver more, that the motivation (thanks to the team's new pshychiatrist F.A.) of the team is to have the other driver succeeding

Poor Felipe

I can see why he supported Flavio then, that's some fairly serious money.

For one Kimi, Ferrari could have 5.625 Massas. And even after Massa out-performed him most of 2008 For that kind of money I'd expect Kimi to win the Championship twice a year.

Which is what I've heard several times and is about £4m if my currency converting skills are not too rusty. I'm lead to believe Vettel's on £2.5m which is likely to increase year-on-year.

Kimi salary is retarded or maybe Ferrari is retarded for paying that. But, hey, congrats Kimi and manager.

Ferrari believed, now they don't believe anymore.

A few folks at the top of the list are obscenely over-payed...no person is worth that amount of money. No one.

The listed salary for Kimi looks insane (congrats to his management team on knowing how to sell hype to the highest bidder!) but I imagine certain others are earning more than what's shown. I can't think that name drivers like, for instance, the two guys right beneath him, are gapped by that much, especially considering their substantial marketing value to sponsors. If Kimi really is earning that many millions more per season, then their management has a lot to answer for.

Rubbish. if you generate revenue you are worth the pay.

If these numbers are true then kimi and his managers have pulled the biggest scam in the history of sport. Its just unbeleivable that this gang could fool so many into thinking they are worth such an absurd amount of money considering their record. Kimi's contract was created in 2006 wasnt it? When he was not even a wc and had only won 8 races? What a scam. Ferrari really got played.

It is common knowledge that Kimi's balloon payment from McLaren was Usd 50 million, and this is when McLaren thought they could drop the option, and keep him cheaper.

Ferrari walked in and said.

Usd 45 and you have a car.

Reason for Kimi's high pay, is how good a contract McLaren gave him initially.

In the end, he delivered their first WDC in 3 years. We'll see if all the trouble of hiring Alonso will be worth it.. he won't be far from Kimi's alleged salary either...$35m is the word.

What about Nelson Piquet jr?

I wonder about Nico's salary at Brawn next year, if he's making so much now, then, he will surely have to take a pay cut to drive for Brawn who is insisting in not even paying well for their new World Champion.

Yes because that makes so much sense. Next season Ferrari is paying Kimi that 45M PLUS around 15-25M extra for breaking the contract.

i imagine kimi negotiated his leaving, but i doubt very much he is being paid full salary plus half

Its a good point. However Button supposedly wants his previous salary (we cant say whether thats true or not because we are not himself or his management). His previous salary would be $14-$16mill I believe.

Yeah, the question is, will he get that much? and if so, what will Rosberg get, right? Can't very well pay Rosberg more than the current World CHampion. Well, I guess they could.

It's pretty interesting, but, maybe not as big a story as Kimi's stuff lol

IIRC, US$ 500.000,00

I think Briatore had said that in 2008 Piquet was paid 1.5m and he dropped that to 1m in 2009 (and used that as corroboration that he didn't know anything with regards to Piquet crashing in Sing ... like would I reduce his salary if I had asked him to crash the car, something like that)

Here's an interesting read by former F1 Racing writer Stuart Codling on the whole driver salary situation: http://www.sidepodcast.com/2009/10/29/of-d...and-other-guff/

Do Ferrari pay or their sponsor? If it doesn't come out of the team's budget, why should they care - other than that it might cause Massa to stew?

Who?

What?

Never Happened ...

Wasn't it Philip Morris who used to pay Ferrari drivers' salaries. So a lot of Marlboro money to Kimi

Oh well, look on the bright side, at least Kimi wins the odd race once in a while, unlike America's #1 talent according to SI:

Dale Earnhardt Jnr. - $26 611 290

But he's famous and a good guy

Not his fault they cut down force by heaps (so much that nationwide cars with 200 hp less were nearly quicker at some tracks, until there was some adjustments!? is that right) and made the cars somewhat undrivable in his style.

I always thought that drivers salaries should be the inverse to the quality of the car.
It takes no great skill to win from pole in the fastes car, while it takes lots of skill and effort to do well in poor machinery.
All drivers claim that they want to win and that they want to be in a fast car.
That implies that they should almost drive for free in a top team and demand a kings ransom for driving a PoS.
After all, it is the car that will make the champion.

Ah, the Finnish excuse

that excuse can't fly in the nascar world where all the cars are identical and each driver has a dedicated team working on his car setup 100 %. You don't have the split resource problem that you have in f1. Jr. Has gone through 2 different crew chiefs and tge results are the same however he does seem to be the unluckiest driver of the team with alll the mech failures.

Doesn't each driver in F1 have their own engineer/ mechanics

OK obviously 09 figures are just speculation....but for 2010 if you were button what would you want?

US$10m seems about par for a world champion? even excluding Kimi's super wage, Nando & Hamilton are apparently in the $10-$20m range.

Anything less than $10m and it would seem like you weren't being respected wouldn't you say? Maybe Brawn will say success is more important blah blah blah, takes $5m....but would you?

I'll go one step further and ask you would you sign for McLaren as Kimi or Button and accept less than Hamilton? My position would be as much as a team says its going to be equal, if your paying on driver more or even lots more, natuarally your focus is going to be on that driver. I'm not saying who is better, just if you are going to join a team where one driver is so entrenched and you basically have the same c.v (world champion) would you sign for less?

yeah, that'll happen

Don't forget drivers will also most have different balances between their base salary and any points/championship bonuses that makes comparisons complicated because you never know if you are comparing what they will earn, could earn or have earned.

A little bird told me [please don't ask for source] Rubens won $100K per point as variable pay, therefore $7,7M [77 pts] in 2009.

Really? Wow, that would be awesome! He's worth every penny of it, too. I appreciate your insight on Rubens, WebBerK!

OT. Does anyone know or have an idea how much is Alonso's buyout clause in Ferrari? And how much was Kimi's?

Heikki?

Rubens should be paid more. No wonder Williams signed him, probably the best value/performance driver by far.