Does anyone know how the teams earn prize money? Is it based on points, championship, etc. I have heard that there is a secret or semi-secret formula. I hear all this talk about how expensive it is to run a team. Clearly there is a problem as there are only 10 teams. With the execption of Ferrari, and most of them are pretty new or the merger of others older teams with manufacturers. I think I read that Ferrari claims to have been profitable.
No one outside of the teams and FIA know how money is passed out. There was some number bandied about for 2007 and the 100 million Ferrari got for winning the constructors championship, but no word on Euro, Pound or USD. I suspect that monies paid out by team vary greatly per result and per team. Makes it pretty hard to be vocal about your FIA contract if you don't know the specifics of your contract vs other teams. Silence is gold(en) and all that.
Well, let's take a look: McLaren 1963 to present. Honda 1963 to present. Williams 1977 to present. Renault F1 1977 to present. Sauber 1988 to present. Etc etc. The only real newbie on the grid is Toyota and their effort began fresh in 2002. All other current teams have roots that go back a long ways; the Force Indias, the RBR cars and the Torro Rosso cars are all based and run from existing teams that have been handed off via purchase from one owner to the next. Outside of Jordan, there hasn't been a genuine newbie in Formula 1 in a long time.
McLaren 1963 to present. Merged with Mercedes Sauber 1988 to present. - The Sauber is pretty much silent in BMW Sauber - listen to any press conference. Honda 1963 to present. - Not really 1964 - 1968. then 1983 to 1992 then again with BAR as part owner 2000 to 2005. than as Honda in 2006 forward. Williams 1977 to present - You are right. Renault F1 1977 to present. - Again, not really 1977 to 1985 then 2002 - present.
