2009 Driver Salaries

[fjackdaw]

Copied from a friend's posting on the Yahoo board - I thought I'd bring it over here, as I don't want to discuss anything in that place. Interesting reading:


DRIVER SALARIES FOR 2009

1. Kimi Raikkonen $45m
2. Lewis Hamilton $18m
3. Fernando Alonso $15m
4. Nico Rosberg $8.5m
5. Jarno Trulli $6.5m
6. Sebastian Vettell $6m
7. Mark Webber $5.5m
8. Jenson Button $5m
9. Robert Kubica $4.5m
10. Heiki Kovaleinen $3.5m
11. Nick Heidfeld $2.8m
12. Timo Glock $2m
13. Giancarlo Fisichella $1.5m
14. Sebastien Buemi $1.5m
15. Rubens Barrichello $1m
16. Jaime Alguersuari $0.5m
17. Vitantonio Liuzzi $NIL
18. Adrian Sutil [Rent a driver]
19. Romain Grossjean $NIL
20. Kazuki Nakajima $NIL

* Ferrari’s Felipe Massa, who is not racing due to injury, earned $8m in 2009.


One can see why they swapped Fernando for Kimi - why have a lazy driver who lucked into one championship for three times the price of the feistiest driver on the grid who beat Schumacher to two championships? And Jenson cheaper than Jarno - now, there's value for money!

[shinji]

Is this is completely accurate then any criticism directed at Raikkonen is wholly deserved. Being paid nearly three times as much as the next guy, he should be winning every race with ease.

Barrichello is the best value for money there by far. Is Sutil still a pay driver?

[Enforcer]

What the hell?

Who's Kimi's manager, he must be brilliant.

EDIT: I can only imagine that he worked a huge pay increase if he won the World Championship into his contract. There's no way he could command 3x Alonso's salary otherwise.

[Ben Gilbert]

Is Sutil still a pay driver?

I think it means that he doesn't have a permanent contract, rather that he is payed by the race, otherwise it would say 'NIL'.

Still it is nice that we have one team in the paddock where virtual pay-drivers are their line-up, championing the cause of F1Rejects.

[LionZoo]

What the hell?

Who's Kimi's manager, he must be brilliant.

EDIT: I can only imagine that he worked a huge pay increase if he won the World Championship into his contract. There's no way he could command 3x Alonso's salary otherwise.

I think di Montezemolo gave Kimi that ridiculous salary as a way of forcing Michael Schumacher out. If Michael had stayed, Kimi would have been paid higher, which I guess is one of those things that are a bit of an insult.

[lostpin]

What about Kazuki Nakajima... he's around for two years and so, and he has NIL too?

[Tealy]

Well done Jaime Alguersuari, the only mid-season replacement getting paid.

[Phoenix]

Well done Jaime Alguersuari, the only mid-season replacement getting paid.

It's supposed to be a regular Toro Rosso driver replacing an underperforming pilot and he will be there for 2010 so it makes sense.


And aren't Nakajima and Grosjean paid? Why?

[DemocalypseNow]

Well done Jaime Alguersuari, the only mid-season replacement getting paid.

It's supposed to be a regular Toro Rosso driver replacing an underperforming pilot and he will be there for 2010 so it makes sense.


And aren't Nakajima and Grosjean paid? Why?

I think Nakajima gets payed by Toyota. He is effectively on loan from them anyway. And Grosjean...I dunno.
What surprises me is Alguersuari even gets paid. I figured he'd be a free driver too.

[Collieafc]

What the hell?

Who's Kimi's manager, he must be brilliant.

EDIT: I can only imagine that he worked a huge pay increase if he won the World Championship into his contract. There's no way he could command 3x Alonso's salary otherwise.

I think di Montezemolo gave Kimi that ridiculous salary as a way of forcing Michael Schumacher out. If Michael had stayed, Kimi would have been paid higher, which I guess is one of those things that are a bit of an insult.

I know he got it when he joined Ferrari and so before he became champion.

The Brawn drivers are really more than whats on this list, as both took pay cuts to stay with the team for 2009.

I'd say the worst value, Kimi aside, would be Rosberg and Trulli, best value being (Brawn aside) Heidfelt and the Red Bull drivers maybe. Wonder what Kobayashi is getting?

[shinji]

Kobayashi gets paid in respect.

[FullMetalJack]

What about Kazuki Nakajima... he's around for two years and so, and he has NIL too?

The way he's been driving this season, he's getting paid what he's deserved.

[Jordan]

I want to know how much (little) Badoer made

[Ben Gilbert]

What about Kazuki Nakajima... he's around for two years and so, and he has NIL too?

The way he's been driving this season, he's getting paid what he's deserved.

$NIL means someone who pays for their seat (from the original article). This means we have three pay drivers in the corporate era of F1.

[Tealy]

I want to know how much (little) Badoer made

I'm only guessing but I reckon Luca just continued to be paid his testing salary (However much that is).

[watka]

Button got paid 5x more than Barrichello, so I was clear from the start who Brawn were going to favour this season.

[DonTirri]

What the hell?

Who's Kimi's manager, he must be brilliant.

I agree. Because remember: he STILL gets paid even if he doesnt turn a wheel on 2010.

I knew kimi was getting paid ridiculous amounts of money, but I did NOT know others were paid so little O_O I thought all top drivers had salaries in the 20's and 30's....

[Captain Hammer]

Who's Kimi's manager, he must be brilliant.

His name is Steve Robertson. I think he has a brother who also manages Kimi - they're partners in their driver management firm - but his name escapes me.

They also own the F3 team Raikkonen-Robertson Racing.

[jackanderton]

I don't see why this has been turned into being Kimi's fault.

If Ferrari were stupid enough to give him that contract then it's their fault.

The money<>performance thing has no correlation. They paid for his services and this year he's done what he can. If they gave him a car as quick as Brawn or Red Bull he'd be in the title hunt no doubt.

[DonTirri]

I agree with Jackanderton.

There is a popular saying in finland which translates roughly to "The stupid one isnt the one who asks. its the one who pays"