A Question for Knowledgeable F1 Fans

No, the drivers don't win anything IIRC. It's the (TV) money that gets distributed among the teams - there's a complicated rulework defining who gets which amount of money based on their results in the races and the overall championship.

 

It's been 25 years, but I knew back then the drivers won some money, but it really was a mere pittance - like less than $20,000 for a win.

 

Close, but I'm pretty sure individual results don't matter - The only result that matters is where you finish in the WCC [Nothing for the WDC]. Further, previous seasons results affect how much of the pie you get - We obviously don't know exactly, but it's generally accepted that the Cans got ~$75MM in 2010, ~$100MM in 2011 and more than that for this season. However, the Pygmy doesn't pay at seasons end - At least part of the pot is held for almost an entire season before being paid.

Here's a breakdown (repost) that looks about right.

Cheers,
Ian
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Thanks for the correction, Ian. That chart is really interesting - I'd never have thought that the hosting fees are more than the TV money!

 

Ironically, they're called "Grand Prix" races, because the races used to award a "Grand Prix" --- a Big Prize.

(Remember in the 1966 film "Grand Prix", where BRM were splitting up the cash from the Glen?)

But then, it's also called a Constructor's Championship, and -- aside from Ferrari -- there isn't a team left that builds production cars.
Mad Max chased away almost all the manufacturers -- Toyota, Honda, BMW, Jaguar, Renault, ...
(Even "Caterham" and "Lotus" aren't the fragment of Lotus that makes cars.)

Politicians never call anything by an accurate name.

 

You're mistaking F1 for a sport.

 

Mclaren build cars, mercedes build cars & lotus renault was renault

 

Many drivers have performance clauses in their contracts with the teams: They get a certain amount of $ for each WDC point scored.

So while it is not prize money from the race organizer, it is an indirect way of getting the same through your team, which (as others mentioned already) get their $ from Bernie based on the same points.

 

"Clarification" more than "correction"

Indeed.

I believe he likes to keep the two pretty much in sync however. If one source gets outta wack, they get too powerful maybe? We know the Pygmy is the *master* of divide & conquer......

Cheers,
Ian

 

Marussia is in for an unexpected windfall this year...

 

That's very true. But, so what?

Over the history of F1 very few of 'em have ever built "production cars".

It's nonsense to suggest that production car production has anything to do with F1 car production.

Honda, Toyota, BMW, Ford, they're all ******* that couldn't stand the heat. In fact, I'd go as far to to say that building "real" cars is nothing more than a distraction if you wanna be successful at this level.

Cheers,
Ian

 

Other than Ferrari what road car manufacturer in recent memory has actually made their own F1 machines?

 

+1

FWIW, they've passed Caterham for 10th place - Worth ~$10-20MM without a Bernie handout. Good for them!

I've said before, the drama at the back is almost (but not quite) as good as the drama at the front - The minnows have as much (if not more) skin in the game as the monsters - $20MM means a *lot* more to Marussia than Ferrari........

Long may it continue.

Cheers,
ian

 

FOM pays teams per position finished according to a set scale... that is generally not published and is part of the concorde agreement.

a race win is worth several million that is then split by the team and driver per contract.

FOM - pays the teams each year according to teams positions in the championship. again this is all part of the concorde agreement.

FOM / FIA pay for all travel expenses for teams also according to championship points.

World Championship is worth $100 Mill, which I beleive is a cummulative amount ...

F-1 brings in billions from teams, races, sponsors etc...

 

A similar brain fart to my "3 in a row" comment earlier?....

 

Not sure what you mean.

But you might want to light a match and open a window.

 

And it will go to medical bills for a test driver..

 

Now you are just being stupid.

'Couldn't stand the heat' vs. 'could not justify the exorbitant costs'.
Look at all the teams that have pulled out of F1 over the last 20 years, and ask yourself WHY they pulled out.
Even Bernie knew it was time to sell when he sold off his Brabham team, he knew where the real money was - or in this case- wasn't.

I just don't think anyone in their right mind would even consider owning an F1 team, I mean, they SAY a billion folks watch, but does a fair amount of that billion actually BUY a product advertised on a racecar?
Aside from Ferrari, I don't think anyone can justify the expense, period.

 

Mind boggling numbers.

 

Hmmph.... You said;

I guess "how recent" becomes the question. My bad if your recent memory only extends to the beginning of this season. No offense, just don't quite get your comment is all.

Err, nope. The team (and I'm sure she too individually) is very well insured.

Amounts to the same thing. As many have said, don't like the costs? Don't enter. They poured in billions (more than *anyone* else at the time) and eventually learnt that money alone doesn't get it done. The heat was too much for 'em.

Go back 50+ years and you'll see the same - Teams come and go. Always has been and always will be that way.

He saw the bigger picture and basically lost interest in running just a team - He wanted it all. That he got it all via fair means or foul is another debate. Apart from himself, he's made many people very, very wealthy since selling Brabham. Smart man and a smart move recognizing what he could make it.

That's a different debate. Just know that the front runners at least are still making much money. FWIW, I think it's the promoters that are out of their minds..... I've said before, if they united and stood up to the Pygmy things may change.

OTOH, Silverstone succeeds year after year - Even when they get flooded out. If it wasn't for the money they make at the Brit GP the BRDC would be a shell of it's current self.

Cheers,
Ian

 

+1

Also prompted a correction to my earlier "~$75MM, $100MM and more this year" comment - Those #'s should be UK Pounds, not Dollars!..... The Cans received around $120MM in 2010, $160MM last year and, guessing, close to $200MM for this years title.

Cheers,
Ian

 

My understanding is that most F1 projects are farmed out to autonomous operations. Either contractors or wholly owned.

 

OK, gotcha. Kinda splitting hairs here though?

I believe the "major manufacturers" (those who couldn't stand the heat ) were pumping money into wholly owned subsidiaries. Sure, the Jags weren't built at the road car factory, but they were, ultimately, Ford for example.

It's not like you can throw an F1 factory at the end of a production line and let 'em at it after all!

Cheers,
Ian

 

I'm trying to draw a distinction between the way Ferrari does F1 and how other automakers do.