davidfarmer

from Autoblog....not that they can't afford it, but damn!

F1 drivers about to strike over outrageous license fees?
Posted Jun 19th 2008 1:32PM by Frank Filipponio
Filed under: Motorsports

We'll call this a rumor for now, but there is some rumbling that the current roster of Formula 1 drivers is so fed up with the rise in FIA Superlicense fees that they may go on strike as early as the British GP at Silverstone next month. F1Fanatic is reminding us too that this wouldn't be the first such strike. Drivers refused to race way back in 1982 over similar issues. It's actually a pretty funny story and well worth a click to read.

This current mess all stems from the World Motorsport Council's recent decision to hike fees for that license-to-thrill-at-will that is the FIA Superlicense. True, F1 drivers earn a ridiculous amount of money, but it's the principle of the matter.

As we recently explained, the standard fee for a Superlicense was just €1,690 for a newcomer, with an additional €447 for each championship point scored in the previous season when you returned the following year. The new fee structure now starts at a staggering €10,000 base fee, plus €2,000 per championship point. Kimi Raikkonen, for instance, fresh off his drivers championship last year, will have to pay €230,000, an unbelievable €199,255 more than last year. So it's not surprising these drivers might be upset. Break out the posterboard, sticks and markers lads. Or, you know, take it to court in the off-season so fans don't get really, really sore with you.

yakisoba

Good lord! What a whacky license structure!

AU N EGL

what is 200K Euros when you make millions .

But yes that is crazy

Kanmer

That is just nuts!!! These guys are going to need sponsors just to pay for their licenses. I am not one for collective bargaining but this might be a strike issue I can agree with. I thought I had it bad paying $120.00 for a hazmat endorsement on my license.

Bob

OCCOMSRAZOR

Ahh, the joys of socialism...

Got to help the govt pay their carbon taxes!

Imagine if our govt charged professional athletes a licensing fee based on points scored, batting average, yards gained, goals scored etc. That's one heck of an incentive NOT to perform well.

Oops, I hope some dumba** politician doesn't read this thread and get an idea.

joemoia

There were some articles in Autosport about this issue

Drivers downplay talk of strike:

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/68414


Mosely ready to discuss license fee:

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/68418


Mark Webber: Drivers should speak to Ecclestone:

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/68416


I suspect the $$$ associated with the racing license is one of the points covered under the driver's contract with the team he is driving for.

Does anyone know if/how much racing licenses cost for other series?

xsiveone

Do you know what I call this? Pocket change. The more they make, the more they are fined, but they make exponentially more money if they are star drivers with premier teams.

This kind of reminds me of the tax structure in Finland. Kimi got a traffic ticket at home a few years back and the ticket fees are based on your earnings from what I hear. I think that he had to pay something like $20K for a traffic violation.

Olitho

Yes, I am fed-up, too. That is exactly the reason I am not renewing my FIA Superlicense this year! With all the points I earned this year it would cost me more that $50. That is extortion...!

Locke

Gee, think how much money the Toyota drivers are saving..........

LG Motorsports

ALMS season long entrants licence which gets you a number, tv live feed, timing, and corner camera live feeds and a Motorhome spot (not that we have one) for a full season is $25,000.

The fee to "Apply" for a spot in the Lemans 24 hour race is $7,000. and that is only the application fee. If you don't get accepted, you don't get it back.

Then the entry fee for the actually 24 hour race, depending on the Euro is about another $50,000. (I use to run a whole season on that)

Now do you see why we need sponsors or other funding.

By the way, we are parking the ALMS car for a few races or until we get the necessary funding

Isn't racing fun?

ghoffman

Let's face it, (to a large extent) racing success is a function of funding. There is an old saying in the military: " amateur soldiers discuss weapons and tactics, professional soldiers discuss logistics." Having a squadron of bitchin new F-22's is worthless if you don't have food, water, reloads, spares, crew members guys to fix the runway, etc. Same in racing, so much of the money goes into things other than the car. At the local level you have the truck, trailer, tires, gas, food, hotel, yada, yada, yada. That costs alot even if you never break or crash. In NASCAR you see the same guys up front even with a spec car (Hendrick, Gibbs, Roush, Penske) because they have the money to buy 7 poster rigs, wind tunnels, dynos, flow benches, CNC machines, and tons of engineers and techs to operate it all, not to mention a dozen trucks and all of the drivers coming and going to the races. I can only imagine what most of us could do with just the receptionist and per deim budget for Hendrick!
In the grand scheme of F1, the license fees are lost in the noise.

I'm Batman

The FIA is a private organization. Every racing organization (private organizations) have their own licenses that are required to race in their series - it's a way of keeping unsafe drivers out. The government isn't involved at all. It is always fun to watch uniformed rants, though, thanks for giving me a good laugh at your expense.

mousecatcher

sound pretty reasonable actually.

CDN_Wolf_eh

Lou,

That sucks! A bunch of us Crazy Canucks are coming down to the Mid-Ohio race, hoping to cheer you on ... are you going to be on the sidelines?

What about Mosport????

Mark

OCCOMSRAZOR

The FIA may be a private organization, but thier fee structure follows a socialist template. It takes more money from a "producing" individual and passes it along to a bureacracy. (I'll understand if you don't comprehend the analogy.)

The FIA or any organization has the right to set licensing fees and requirements, however, I believe the main complaint is that the more successful the driver is, the higher his fee is. Is that a fair policy?

I assume you have a job. If your job required a license, do you think it would be fair for someone who is significantly better at your job than you to pay more for their license than you?

Licensing fees should be the same for every driver, regardless of how many "points" one has earned.

Your explanation also makes no sense. If the intent is as you claim, to "keep unsafe drivers out" then logic would dictate they charge more for drivers that are rookies or have earned minimal points (Least safe) than experienced, successful drivers that are at the top. (Most safe)

I'm glad you got a laugh. I find that many people who lack the intellectual capacity to follow the larger philosophical point often laugh.



PS: I had my Grandson type this really slow just for you.

mousecatcher

are marginal tax rates fair?

bcstonic

Lets see, AutoX & Roadracing section of corvette forum. F1 license topic. Debate over socialism/taxes? Meet me over at the off topic section. I would love to get into this one.

OCCOMSRAZOR

If you mean the "progressive" tax system we have in the US, My opinion is no, they aren't fair.

A flat tax, VAT, or sales tax is actually more "fair" because everyone at least pays an equal percentage. The practicalities are that those who earn more still will pay more taxes because they generally will purchase more products than those with smaller incomes. (ie: 10% of $200,000 is more than 10% of $20,000, but at least the rates are equivalent and there is some perception that everyone is paying the same tax rate.)

The fact is, when the top 10% of wage earners pay 65% of all federal income taxes, and the top 50% pay 96% of all taxes it's almost getting to the point that half the people in this boat aren't rowing.

There is an argument that suggests that those on the lower end of the economic scale are more of a social burden so their tax rates should be higher to offset those costs, but then you get into the whole "Social Darwanism" issue which is way off the topic.

I just want to watch F1 races!

Chaos81

Sorry to hear that Lou.

rfn026

The Grand Am series is funded by the team owners and drivers. Grand Am is assured of a profit without a single spectator ever passing through the gate. They don't need TV money or ticket revenue to turn a profit. Team owners fund the series with entry fees.

Richard Newton

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