Great expose` on F1 mechanics | FerrariChat

Great expose` on F1 mechanics

Discussion in 'F1' started by DF1, Sep 25, 2016.

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  1. Jack-the-lad

    Jack-the-lad Six Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Jun 22, 2004
    69,050
    Moot Pointe
    I guess there must be some other reason they do it if the pay is so poor....of course the BBC leads with a photo of something that would almost impossible to happen today.
     
  2. SimCity3

    SimCity3 F1 Rookie

    Drivers are overpaid. It's such a TEAM sport these days the money should be distributed somewhat more towards the rest of the team. Races are won or lost by teamwork.

    Cap driver salaries at a £100K ceiling per race. They love racing. Where else will they earn £100K per race doing something they love ?

    If they want to earn even more, they can indulge in off-track activities and endorsements :)
     
  3. Bas

    Bas Four Time F1 World Champ

    Mar 24, 2008
    41,300
    ESP
    Full Name:
    Bas
    Considering some of them are the very best in the world at what they do, why shouldn't they earn obscene amounts of money?
     
  4. BMW.SauberF1Team

    BMW.SauberF1Team F1 World Champ

    Dec 4, 2004
    14,244
    Let it be a free market like it is now. Many drivers pay to drive or are subsidized by sponsors for a ride. The sponsors wouldn't sponsor them unless they feel like it wouldn't help their business in some way (and in some cases it doesn't so they lose sponsorship).

    Ferrari can afford and choose to pay Kimi and Vettel their salaries because they feel they can get that money back. They're for-profit businesses and make decisions as such...
     
  5. vinuneuro

    vinuneuro F1 Rookie

    May 6, 2007
    2,574
    Chicago
    Full Name:
    Vig
    It's not as if these mechanics have a gun to their head. They do so for the love of the sport. And if they think they're not paid enough there are thousands of others who would gladly take their place.

    Same goes for the engineers that produce these cars. From all accounts, apart from the high ranking ones, most make the same as their counterparts in other industries such road car, aerospace, etc. They also tend to work more with less work-life balance given the competitive nature of F1. But they do so for the love the of the sport.

    The drivers get paid what they deserve. I've read that in F1 each tenth costs $10 million. Top drivers like Hamilton, Alonso, etc brings at least a few tenths over the average driver. Given their previous success they also bring value to whatever sponsors they or their team represent. Their salaries add up correctly in the end.
     
  6. muk_yan_jong

    muk_yan_jong Formula Junior

    Oct 11, 2008
    535
    Full Name:
    Brian McKeown
    Even on our lowly Challenge team it was one of the greatest things I could ever have hoped to do in my life. Filthy, sweaty, hungry, and exhausted most of the time, but I never felt more alive and connected to something I love. I got to travel, meet other's like me, and drive on some iconic tracks. When we crossed over with F1 ( I was at the circuit gille villeneuve hairpin in 2007 ) I got a great backstage pass to the highest level of motorsport and some indelible memories.

    That's why they do it.
     
  7. Hollywood-GP

    Hollywood-GP Karting

    Jun 15, 2015
    151
    I worked on a number of different teams when I was in my 20s, everything from INDY car to ALMS and Grand Am, even a nascar truck team for a bit. I personally enjoyed it, but it was not for everyone, its something that becomes your life, there is no going home only going to the next track. most of the teams I worked on were very good to me, the pay was decent.
     
  8. william

    william Two Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Jun 3, 2006
    25,447
    Some of the mechanics get promoted within the team after a few years, other climb up the ladder to a management role.
    There are even former mechanics who become team principals, or team owners.
    It's like any other job, you have to put up with a lot of aggro before you can reap the rewards.

    Look at Ron Dennis, Charlie Whitting, etc...
     
  9. WPOZZZ

    WPOZZZ F1 Veteran

    Aug 22, 2012
    6,477
    Honolulu, HI
    I think the team members do it for the excitement and the love of the sport. While compensation isn't the greatest, it could be worse. In the US, dealership mechanics make about the same, but are trapped in the garage trying to get jobs out ASAP so they can increase their pay. If you are very good, the dealership throws the difficult jobs at you, which makes your job harder.

    If you are in your 20s/30s and single, I can see the life of an F1 mechanic being interesting. With age, and a SO, I don't see it happening. A friend who was in his early 50s used to be a wrench on a GT3 team. He'd fly out for races from HNL and his wife would run their shop with their mechanics. He did this for a few years and eventually gave it up. Grueling travel and age took its toll. He loved doing it eventhough he was not compensated when he first started out.
     
  10. Igor Ound

    Igor Ound F1 Veteran

    Sep 30, 2012
    8,102
    The Horn
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    Igor Ound
    Most of them and their sponsors are actually the ones bringing in the money to pay mechanics
     
  11. SimCity3

    SimCity3 F1 Rookie

    I am familiar with how the market works. I am also mindful that current drivers are shining due to getting the right opportunity at the right time. However, there are plenty of other drivers who could also shine with the same breaks. Problem is, there is only ever 2 seats available in the best teams. It is a game of agents and team.

    In my sports promotion era, we would regularly write 7 figure cheques to the "hottest" prospect. Yes they were talented, but so were a bunch of other guys. Those who retained the best or biggest agents would normally get the breaks.
    We once called an agents bluff, and ended up sending him a cheque for a quarter of what he wanted. Why ? His client was going to be sitting on a sofa otherwise, with a dozen others match-fit in a queue behind him. He forgot the fundamental truth, nobody is bigger than the sport itself.

    Out of the current F1 drivers, I must say that Alonso can squeeze every ounce out of a poor or average car. Unfortunately we will never know if Hamilton could do the same.
     
  12. PAP 348

    PAP 348 Nine Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Dec 10, 2005
    99,174
    Mount Isa, Australia
    Full Name:
    Pap
    They definitely do it for the love of it.

    I would LOVE to do it myself.

    It's the same across all motorsport I am sure.

    Here in Australia we have a VERY popular V8 Supercar racing series.

    A friend of mine started off as a mechanic for a team, then climbed the ranks to become the chief engineer for the same team. It took him around 5-6 years to get there.

    I talked to him about it one day around 8 years ago and he said he loved it, but the pay is ****. lol

    He said he was earning AU $80,000 per season at the time. I was earning more than him doing my normal job.

    But he did say you don't do it for the money, which is what I understood from back then and I told him if there was ever an opportunity for a mechanic position to come up on his team to give me a call.

    Well, 2 years later he did........but I declined. lol. The partner at the time didn't like the idea of me being away from home so much.

    Another friend was called up to be a panel beater for another V8 Supercar team. He is/was VERY VERY good. He got the call, did a few weekends repairing cars for this team and then pulled the pin.

    He also said the pay was crap and the work was very demanding. He could earn more money here locally and work half as hard, so he came home. He still lives and works here.

    Another friend and work mate used to build engines for another team also. He was on AU $50,000 at the time and was based out of their factory in Melb, Australia. When they found out he also had a heavy rigid truck licence, they made start driving their team trucks around Australia to race meets.

    Sad part is, they never paid him anymore for driving their trucks and he had to rebuild and repair engines now in make shift 'clean rooms' at the race track. lol

    He didn't last long after that was he was not happy with the conditions so he quit and came to work underground with us. :D

    Give me an opportunity to be an F1 mechanic now, I would not say NO!

    To hell with the Wife and kids, F1 rules! :eek:
     
  13. WPOZZZ

    WPOZZZ F1 Veteran

    Aug 22, 2012
    6,477
    Honolulu, HI
    Didn't one of the driver's buy expensive gifts for his pit crew after winning the WDC?
     
  14. classic308

    classic308 F1 Veteran

    Jan 9, 2004
    6,793
    Westchester, NY
    Full Name:
    Paul
    Wish we had Fast Ian here to chime in. :(

    Drivers should be paid less imho because they aren't that important anymore; the engineers rule F1 nowadays, and the mechanics who work on these tech marvels should definitely get more $.
     
  15. DF1

    DF1 Two Time F1 World Champ

    I have no problem with a slight reduction in driver pay and a touch more for the mechanics. That surely would not affect the world in a negative way. Some super model might be less interested in a driver but the world would turn LOL :)
     
  16. ELP_JC

    ELP_JC Formula 3

    Dec 13, 2008
    1,264
    I also think drivers are overpaid. And A LOT. Even if they got paid just a million/yr. Where the hell would they earn remotely close to that? And while having fun? Most don't even have a freaking degree, for what I've read. Races and games (football, soccer, baseball, etc) should be a family affair for everybody. Due to outrageous athlete salaries, it's just for the elite now. And there're TONS of jobs more dangerous than racing drivers, and they don't pay hardly anything by comparison. Just saying:).
     
  17. furmano

    furmano Three Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Jul 22, 2004
    31,910
    Colorado
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    Furman
    Guys, salaries are governed by supply and demand just like any other good or service.

    The number of people who can drive a modern F1 car competitively is pretty small. As in, maybe 50 people in the world. If there was some great pool of super talented drivers they would easily replace the back of the pack drivers. But there isn't.

    The flip side is true for mechanics. The number of people who can skillfully mechanic an F1 car is probably in the thousands.

    If teams want to reduce the salary of their star driver so they can pay their no-name mechanics more, well God bless them. :)

    -F
     
  18. Kiwi Nick

    Kiwi Nick Formula 3

    Jun 13, 2014
    1,324
    Durango, CO
    Full Name:
    Jeff
    So long as there is an endless supply of capable mechanics willing to work for squat, they will get paid squat. So long as teams are willing to pay the top drivers millions and millions to drive, top drivers will get paid millions and millions to drive.

    This is the free market. Just because Lenin might want to see mechanics make more and drivers less doesn't make it a good idea. If your son is an F1 mechanic struggling to make ends meet, I suggest that you steer him toward a new career.
     
  19. Luxb1

    Luxb1 Karting
    BANNED

    Mar 17, 2016
    248
    Monaco
    Full Name:
    J. Konrad
    It's straight economics. Supply of talented unemployed mechanics is way greater than demand.
    The drivers are over paid as well. F1 is subsidized by the taxpayers of the hosting countries.
     
  20. DF1

    DF1 Two Time F1 World Champ

    +1 finding and keeping good mechs is just as important in TEAM sport as finding the next poster boy, super model dating overpaid 'driver'. IF drivers were paid even 100,000 less and some of that went to mechanics the world would still turn.
     
  21. SimCity3

    SimCity3 F1 Rookie

    +1
    An extra £100K spread out among the pit crew would make a real difference to them each race.
    For Hamilton £100K is a bottle of Armand de Brigand in a club.
     
  22. Bas

    Bas Four Time F1 World Champ

    Mar 24, 2008
    41,300
    ESP
    Full Name:
    Bas
    Most of the guys aren't earning silly money.

    Alonso, Vettel, Hamilton, Rosberg are the ones really raking it in. Kimi + Button are barely making 10m per season.

    Big gaps after that. Ricciardo is the next highest earner at 5.5m USD, Massa a million less than that, Hulk/perez at 4, Bottas at 3.3. Max earns around 1.5 now I believe (though the bonus structure is really paying off for him at Red Bull :D). Kvyat had a base of only 750K at Red Bull. Sainz at 400K usd, and the rest half of that!

    Some of these guys are truly the best in the world, why shouldn't they be rewarded for their talents? Most of them have worked their entire life at this. They can't do this till their 65. F1 career (And it's earnings) normally end at 35, provided you're something stellar. If you're not, it'll end well before that.

    Their working days aren't simply to sit in a car on the weekend and drive a bit fast for a few hours. It's 6+ hours in the gym every single day, a huge amount of PR (****-tons of it outside of the track/weekends as well).

    Why would they need a degree? A degree isn't neccesary to start making millions. Last time I checked, most of the people in the world making vast amounts of money (outside sport) don't have a degree, plenty dropped out of school. Should Billy Gates go back to uni and complete a course before he can take his position back at the helm of Microsoft? Should Tom Hanks hand back his Oscars until he goes back?

    Sorry, but the entire argument is ridiculous. They are the best in the world (most of them anyways), it lasts a short time. Why shouldn't they rake it in? It's not like it's coming out of your pocket is it? It's not a state funded salary. They're not funded by the fans coming to the tracks. The teams and their sponsors pay for them.

    As for prices, I really don't find it all that expensive. I got great tickets for €250 at the Spanish GP, for a 4 day event (on Thursday there was a grid walk etc, and technically could've been 6 day even as there was testing afterwards!). Parking for all those days, a 5 minute walk, was €15. If I go for a night out I normally spend around €150. Sure if I buy a case of beer and sit in front of the TV it's much cheaper, but that's not the point is it? Movies and dinner? easily €70 all in for what is 3 hours of fun. At best.
     
  23. Beau365

    Beau365 Formula 3

    Feb 27, 2005
    1,284
    Congested London
    Full Name:
    Beau
    Vettel is allegedly on 40M per year. That makes Kimi and then Max seem like the bargains of the century. If salary was based on the quantity of moaning, Vettel might be worth 40M :D

    If F1 really wants to hot things up, put all drivers on the same basic wage, and award ££ bonuses for qualifying and race results !
     
  24. Kiwi Nick

    Kiwi Nick Formula 3

    Jun 13, 2014
    1,324
    Durango, CO
    Full Name:
    Jeff
    And, as is always the case, whenever government subsidises something, it artificially inflated the price.
     

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