51 replies to this topic

[Nathan]

(Dan Knutson – National Speed Sport News) A question for all of you: Auto Motor und Sport magazine said only ten F1 drivers make over US$10m. Compared to other sportsmen are you guys really underpaid?

Raikkonen, Massa, Alonso, Hamilton, Button. Who else? Maybe Barrichello & Heidfeld? I can't think of three others who would be in the position.

[potmotr]

I know he's retired but what kind of revenue streams would Michael Schumacher still have pouring in?

[Mayur]

maybe Webber? how about Trulli? I have no idea.

Are you sure Massa's salary is more than 10 million

[pingu666]

massa had his contract redone to increase his wages, extension etc so maybe... hamilton probably has a fat wage packet, truli im pretty sure does take home a nice bundle, remmber ralf was paid stacks... DC and webber maybe...

[Racer Joe]

Not sure what AMuS means by "making"? Just salary or includes marketing income as well?

[IOU 16]

Originally posted by Mayur
maybe Webber? how about Trulli? I have no idea.

Are you sure Massa's salary is more than 10 million

It's Toyota. They overspent on Ralf Schmacher.

[JForce]

Kimi - Definately
Massa - Definately
Lewis - On performance pay, sure (points scored). His base is under 10m.
Heiki - I doubt it
Alonso - Definately
Jenson - Definately
Rubens - I would think so
Heidfeld - Perhaps, on performance? Points scored? I doubt his base is 10m?
Kubica - His base would be less than Nicks, but with points scored maybe?
Webber - I doubt it. Maybe if points are considered?
DC - I would think his base is higher than Marks, but even then 10m? I doubt it.
Trulli - I would think so
Glock - No way
Fisi - No way
Sutil - No way
Vettell - No way
Bourdais - Maybe. I tend to think not, but it is possible?
Piquet - No way

The hard part is that of course some are on a flat salary, some are on point scoring bonuses, etc.

[noikeee]

You forgot Nakajima.

[AndreasF1]

and Rosberg ;) who may get there with bonus

[AndreasF1]

What about the major test drivers Dela Rosa and Badoer and Wurz?

[Melbourne Park]

Webber was on over 8 million $US, without endorsements. Of course the drivers can earn more by doing endorsements etc., I think MS was mostly paid outside of Ferrari.

I'd imagine that short term contracts for top drivers in demand would naturally pay more. Some drivers get paid with points tallies as well. And if team points are below an agreed cut off point earned, such as are Renault's at the moment, drivers can get out of their contracts as well.

[Ross Stonefeld]

only ten F1 drivers make over US$10m. Compared to other sportsmen are you guys really underpaid?



So in other words, basically half the F1 grid is making almost a million a month.

[senna da silva]

Originally posted by Ross Stonefeld


So in other words, basically half the F1 grid is making almost a million a month.

Basically, yes. Did you use a calculator to figure that out?

[Ross Stonefeld]

Jesus what's your problem?

[senna da silva]

Originally posted by Ross Stonefeld
Jesus what's your problem?

My pet peeve is idiocy.

[Ross Stonefeld]

So why do you keep acting like one?

[mach4]

Originally posted by JForce
Kimi - Definately
Massa - Definately
Lewis - On performance pay, sure (points scored). His base is under 10m.
Heiki - I doubt it
Alonso - Definately
Jenson - Definately

http://www.d-e-f-i-n-i-t-e-l-y.com/

[senna da silva]

Originally posted by Ross Stonefeld
So why do you keep acting like one?

One could ask you the same question.

[Melbourne Park]

Originally posted by senna da silva


My pet peeve is idiocy.

I think you were silly picking on Ross for making a valid observation. A million a month sounds different to 10 million a year. And the drivers don't work all year!

[Ross Stonefeld]

I'm talking about which F1 drivers make 10million and whypeople seem to think that's an unimpressive number. God knows what you're going on about.

[senna da silva]

Originally posted by Melbourne Park


I think you were silly picking on Ross for making a valid observation. A million a month sounds different to 10 million a year. And the drivers don't work all year!

Yes, dividing by 12 IS very difficult.

[senna da silva]

Originally posted by Ross Stonefeld
I'm talking about which F1 drivers make 10million and whypeople seem to think that's an unimpressive number. God knows what you're going on about.

Compared to every other major sport in the world $10M for a top ranked sporting figure is peanuts. Compared to most people, sure it's a lot of money, but it's all relative. These guys are risking their lives while Bernie becomes a multi billionaire.

[Ross Stonefeld]

They're not 'risking their lives'. The risk factor of auto racing is very much overrated. Drivers are paid their market value, not the value of their lives. Otherwise people doing actual dangerous work would be paid much more.

[mursuka80]

I think they are underpaid if they get paid by shitty Dollars I would want euros

[Melbourne Park]

Originally posted by senna da silva


Yes, dividing by 12 IS very difficult.

I don't know if Ross can divide - for all I know, he used Big Blue for his calculations. Or maybe he's a cheapskate, and he used an old superceded Cray. I hope not, 'cause I like my crays fresh.

IMO you seem to have lost his point and become annoyed with his mathematical capabilities. His point was just to visualize such drivers incomes in a different way. Some people even might convert that to races, or to points. Some of the drivers get paid extra for the points they earn as well.

No need to get annoyed - a million a month has a nice sound to it IMO. That a lot more than the bikers get, and they do risk their bodies. Ross, how much does Stoner get a month?

[Melbourne Park]

Originally posted by Ross Stonefeld
They're not 'risking their lives'. The risk factor of auto racing is very much overrated. Drivers are paid their market value, not the value of their lives. Otherwise people doing actual dangerous work would be paid much more.

I just wonder Ross, do you stand on the outside when taking pictures of rally cars? My advise is DON'T.

There are still risks in F1 too - we've been lucky IMO. But its much safer than it used to be, and F1 appears one of the safest forms of motorsport.

[Ross Stonefeld]

Id say the spectators are at more risk than the drivers in rallies

[Ghostrider]

Originally posted by Ross Stonefeld
They're not 'risking their lives'. The risk factor of auto racing is very much overrated. Drivers are paid their market value, not the value of their lives. Otherwise people doing actual dangerous work would be paid much more.

Very true.

[Two Jags]

I feel it's worth posting Kubica's reply to the question for anyone who didn't see it:


Q: (Dan Knutson - National Speed Sport News) A question for all of you: Auto Motor und Sport magazine said only ten F1 drivers make over US$10m. Compared to other sportsmen are you guys really underpaid?

Kubica: I think my opinion is that I'm not doing it for money. Of course, I need something for food and to live but in the end my approach is the same when I was racing in karting. In karting I wasn't paid, so no difference.



Great attitude

[jcbc3]

I think that goes for 99.9999999999999999999% of all professional athlete and sports people.

That being said, they would all like to maximise their income for a host of reasons. E.g.
Peer standing.
Economic safety net after retirment.
Family security in case of fatal accident.

Which is why the team bosses can't 'exploit' that attitude.

[HoldenRT]

Originally posted by Ross Stonefeld
They're not 'risking their lives'. The risk factor of auto racing is very much overrated. Drivers are paid their market value, not the value of their lives. Otherwise people doing actual dangerous work would be paid much more.

Did you think that during the Spanish GP this year when Kovi was stuck in the wall for ages? Or during Kubica's crash at Canada last year.

[Ross Stonefeld]

Yes.

[kar]

Ross is right, the value of someone's life is rarely factored into their wages.

Think about the servicemen and women of the UK, the US, Australia etc, who get paid relatively SFA despite putting their lives on the line when in theatre (and sometimes when not).

They are far from 'fairly' compensated for the risks that their person is exposed to in the course of doing their job.

That said, F1 drivers are pretty well paid. Maybe sportsmen/women of other disciplines get paid more but not too many and not by much. And then most of them are domiciled in, how do you say, less tax friendly regimes.

I dare say the best F1 drivers are appropriately remunerated and would be on par with the top echelon of sportsmen of any discipline. After all many hacks in the British press are racing to jerk off over the fact that Lewis Hamilton TM is set to be Britain's richest athlete, and by some margin.

[jcbc3]

As opposed to Kimi Räikkönen TM being the highest paid Finnish Athlete?
Of course his antics with cock and booze is nothing new in Finnish sports (see. Nykänen, M).

[ensign14]

Most sports stars are overpaid. Phil Mickelson earned around $50m last year for not being able to beat a cripple. Rounders players get paid double that for competing for the world championsip in a sport that ignores places that are actually better. At least there is a greater element of risk in motor racing. Not as much as in three day eventing, but then again that would switch around if Clare Balding became an interviewer next year.

[barteks]

Heidfeld $11m
Kubica $3m

[Atreiu]

They are all overpaid for the fun they have and benefits that come with the fame.

[jcbc3]

Fifty highest paid American athletes by Sports Illustrated

Twenty highest paid International athletes

[Mauseri]

Originally posted by senna da silva


Yes, dividing by 12 IS very difficult.

So people should write only things hard to understand?

ps. Trolling is very difficult too

[kismet]

They don't seem criminally underpaid to me. Are there really that many sports where the median earnings of the competing athletes are higher than $10 million?

[BMW_F1]

Originally posted by jcbc3
Fifty highest paid American athletes by Sports Illustrated

Twenty highest paid International athletes

NASCAR Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr.made 32 and 31 Million.

They should be # 7th and tied 8th on that SI list.

http://www.forbes.co...thisSpeed=15000

[jcbc3]

Originally posted by BMW_F1


NASCAR Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr.made 32 and 31 Million.

They should be # 7th and tied 8th on that SI list.

http://www.forbes.co...thisSpeed=15000

This is what SI wrote on their list:

Sources: salaries, winnings and bonus figures from players' associations, tour records, agents and news reports. Endorsement estimates from Burns Entertainment & Sports Marketing, other sports-marketing executives and analysts, and agents. Salaries based on current or most recently completed seasons (exception: 2008 for NFL). For winnings-based sports (auto racing, golf, tennis), 2007 calendar year amounts used.

I don't know what is 'true'. I just posted as a curiosity item.

[Youichi]

Originally posted by kismet
They don't seem criminally underpaid to me. Are there really that many sports where the median earnings of the competing athletes are higher than $10 million?

How about the Euro 2008 players ? pick the 20 best players, to correspond to the 20 best drivers (I know F1 isn't really the 20 best ), and I bet they are all on more than $10 million a year.

$10 million = £5 million = roughly £100,000 a week, and loads of premiership players are on more than that.

[Jodum5]

Originally posted by BMW_F1


NASCAR Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr.made 32 and 31 Million.

They should be # 7th and tied 8th on that SI list.

http://www.forbes.co...thisSpeed=15000

Those lists aren't THAT accurate.

[BMW_F1]

Originally posted by Jodum5


Those lists aren't THAT accurate.

which one ? Forbes or SI?.. If anything I would think Forbes is more accurate since that is their main business, to publish such figures. SI is a sports magazine, which gets its data from different sources, Forbes/Fortune.. etc...etc.. They probably didn't want to leave Derek Jeter out of the top ten to attract more readers.

[mikedeering]

Originally posted by Youichi


How about the Euro 2008 players ? pick the 20 best players, to correspond to the 20 best drivers (I know F1 isn't really the 20 best ), and I bet they are all on more than $10 million a year.

$10 million = £5 million = roughly £100,000 a week, and loads of premiership players are on more than that.

I don't think loads of Premiership players earn more than £100k a week. Sure some do, but I reckon you can limit that to a few players at Chelsea and Man Utd. No one else. The average annual wage is I think in the region of £800k for a Premiership player, and that number is skewed somewhat by the top earners on £5m.

And total wages in the Premiership are significantly higher than any of the other top European leagues, although granted some players will be earning £100k outside England.

I always think a quote like "He's on £120k a week" sounds somehow more than, say £8m a year - although obviously it is not.

[Ross Stonefeld]

the XXX-a-week made me wonder if for some reason they weren't paid for 52 weeks.

A lot of those guys have other deals though. I've read places like The Times that someone like Michael Owen is making 8mil a year(pounds) when it's all counted up.

[Dolph]

Originally posted by AndreasF1
What about the major test drivers Dela Rosa and Badoer and Wurz?

Are you serious!?

[giacomo]

This is the 2008 "Auto Motor und Sport" salary ranking.

1. Fernando Alonso - 28 Mio. Dollar
2. Kimi Räikkönen - 22 Mio. Dollar
3. Jenson Button - 16 Mio. Dollar
4. Felipe Massa - 12 Mio. Dollar
5. Nick Heidfeld - 11 Mio. Dollar
6. Rubens Barrichello - 9 Mio. Dollar
7. Mark Webber - 7,5 Mio. Dollar
8. Jarno Trulli - 6,5 Mio. Dollar
9. Lewis Hamilton - 5 Mio. Dollar
10. David Coulthard - 5 Mio. Dollar
11. Nico Rosberg - 5 Mio. Dollar
12. Giancarlo Fisichella - 3 Mio. Dollar
13. Heikki Kovalainen - 2,5 Mio. Dollar
14. Takuma Sato - 2,5 Mio. Dollar
15. Robert Kubica - 2 Mio. Dollar
16. Timo Glock - 2 Mio. Dollar
17. Sebastien Bourdais - 2 Mio. Dollar
18. Nelson Piquet Jr. - 1,5 Mio. Dollar
19. Sebastian Vettel - 1,5 Mio. Dollar
20. Anthony Davidson - 1,5 Mio. Dollar
21. Kazuki Nakajima - 1 Mio. Dollar
22. Adrian Sutil - 1 Mio. Dollar

So it seems Mr Dan Knutson misquoted or misunderstood "Auto Motor und Sport".

[senna da silva]

Originally posted by Ross Stonefeld
the XXX-a-week made me wonder if for some reason they weren't paid for 52 weeks.

A lot of those guys have other deals though. I've read places like The Times that someone like Michael Owen is making 8mil a year(pounds) when it's all counted up.

Hey Ross, can you calculate for us what an F1 driver would make a week using those wicked math skills?