How much money do F1 drivers like Kimi Raikkonen, Fernando Alonso, Ralf Schumacher, Jenson Button, Felipe Massa, Michael Schumacher (well Lewis Hamilton is not on yet) earn? Well take a look and see..
The real salaries are never revealed, but that wouldn’t stop us from speculating, now would it? Here’s one estimate, reportedly from the F1 Racing mag, March issue:
(wrote in June 26, 2007, by http://sunilpandey.wordpress.com)
Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, US$51 million
Ralf Schumacher, Toyota, US$25 million.
Fernando Alonso, McLaren, US$22 million.
Jenson Button, Honda, US$18 million.
Rubens Barrichello, Honda, US$12 million.
Jarno Trulli, Toyota, US$10 million.
Felipe Massa, Ferrari, US$8 million.
Giancarlo Fisichella, Renault, US$7 million.
Mark Webber, Red Bull, US$5 million.
Takuma Sato, Super Aguri, US$4.5 million.
For comparison, here are the estimates from last year:
Michael Schumacher - $62.4m
Ralf Schumacher - $20.4m
Kimi Raikkonen - $14.4m
Juan Pablo Montoya - $13.2m
Rubens Barrichello - $12m
Jarno Trulli - $9.6m
Fernando Alonso - $7.2m
Mark Webber - $7.2m
David Coulthard - $7.2m
Jenson Button - $7.2m
Giancarlo Fisichella - $6m
Nick Heidfeld - $6m
Jacques Villeneuve - $3.6m
Nico Rosberg - $1.8m
Christian Klien - $1.8m
Both these lists don’t include any sponsorship or endorsment deals. Michael Schumacher ended his career at the end of last year as the highest paid F1 driver in the history! And second only to Tiger Woods as the top earner in professional sport. Of course, for a 7 times world champion, that is quite justified!
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
How much do F1 drivers earn??
Honda Car Overview
Overview
The Honda Racing F1 Team in 2008 enters its third season under full Honda Motor Company ownership with the new RA108 and an even greater determination to succeed.
The RA108 car is a different concept to its predecessors, in terms of its aerodynamic layout and mechanical structure. The design philosophy has been developed to allow greater scope for aerodynamic packaging and exploitation, particularly to facilitate the introduction of performance upgrades through the season.
The new V8 powerplant, the RA808E, also takes on the evocative RA prefix, which continued through 1983-1992 during Honda’s second generation of F1 participation.
The launch of the RA108, with its revised 2008 livery, also marks the start of the next exciting phase of the team’s long term environmental initiative, earthdreams. The Honda Racing F1
Team’s ethos is one of dedication to sporting excellence, borne out of 40 years of Honda’s racing heritage and a shared responsibility for change in our society.
Engine
Name: RA807E
Displacement: 2.4 litres
Configuration: V8, naturally aspirated
Vee angle: 90 degrees
Maximum power: More than 700 ps
Maximum revs: 19,000 rpm
Valve train: 4 valves per cylinder; pneumatic valve system
Injection system: Honda PGM-FI
Throttle system: Electronic hydraulically-operated system
Ignition system: Honda PGM-IG
Chassis
Gearbox: Carbon composite maincase: 7-speed unit, Honda internals
Gear selection: Sequential, semi-automatic, hydraulic activation
Clutch: Carbon plate
Overall length: 4700mm
Overall height: 950mm
Overall width: 1800mm
http://www.hondaracingf1.com/loband/car_overview.php
Scuderia Toro Rosso STR2B
Scuderia Toro Rosso has confirmed its new car will not be ready in time for the start of the 2008 Formula 1 campaign, meaning it will head into the opening grand prix weekend in Melbourne in under two months' time with an updated version of its 2007-spec STR2.
Far from putting the team at a disadvantage, though, Sebastian Vettel argues the late arrival may even hand STR an early benefit as the season gets underway. The young German is entering his maiden full campaign in the top flight in 2008, having impressed for both BMW and STR last year by scoring six points from just eight races and running up in third position in the rain-lashed Japanese Grand Prix at Fuji. What's more, he has shone in winter testing too, regularly featuring well up inside the top ten during multi-team tests and even topping the timesheets at Jerez in December.
"At the moment [the car] looks and feels really good," Vettel told the official F1 website during last week's Valencia test, where both he and team-mate Sébastien Bourdais continued to hone the Italian outfit's existing machine. "We will get the new car after the first three or four races so we will start the season with an evolution of the 2007 car, the STR2B.
"I see it as a benefit to start the season with a car I know and one that has overcome reliability issues in the last quarter of the '07 season. Let's wait and see if we are not doing better with proven material than many others in their brand new machines having to overcome teething problems."
Indeed, the STR2 displayed impressive form towards the end of last season, with eight points all in one go in the penultimate race in China the best result in its F1 history and one that launched the sister squad to Red Bull Racing up into seventh spot in the constructors' standings in one fell swoop. Vettel warned, however, that there would be no room for resting on laurels if the team is to make a further step up the grid in 2008.
"We have to push the STR2B forward," the 20-year-old asserted. "We also have to see that the development of the STR3 goes in the right direction so we have a competitive car right away, as by that time all the other teams will have solved many of their teething problems."
The STR3 is expected to make its competitive grand prix debut in April.
Toro Rosso logo
The new Toro Rosso
Super Aguri F1 Team
Super Aguri F1 Team have pencilled the date of 19th February to launch their 2008 challenger.
The SA08 will be unveiled at the Catalunya Circuit, Barcelona, Spain.
The new car is likely to be a development of the Honda RA107, as they retain very close links with the Anglo/Japanese squad. It will also be powered by Honda engines.
Takuma Sato and Anthony Davidson are likely to be the drivers, thats what we think and the FIA think - but Super Aguri claim no contracts have been signed.
2008 marks the third season for Super Aguri, scoring good finishes and points last season is a far cry from the Bahrain GP of 2006 where they used adapted Arrows chassis’.
Force India Pictures
Force India F1 is a Formula One motor racing team. The team was formed in October 2007, when a consortium led by Vijay Mallya and Michiel Mol bought the Spyker F1 team for € 88 million.
Force India F1 represents increased Indian participation within Formula One, with Delhi all set to host the first ever Indian Grand Prix in 2010. The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile confirmed the change in name from Spyker to Force India on 24th October 2007
Background
Although created in 2007, the team's roots can be traced back to 1991, when it was founded as Jordan Grand Prix. The Silverstone-based squad and facilities were bought by the Midland group in 2005 and re-named Midland F1 in 2006, before being sold to Spyker Cars towards the end of the 2006 season. However, the running costs of a small Formula One team once again caused the sale of the team[citation needed] this time to Indian billionaire Dr. Vijay Mallya (Chairman and CEO of The United Breweries Group and Kingfisher Airlines).
The Buyout of Spyker F1
Rumours about the possible sale of the team had been abundant in the paddock throughout the last few months of the 2007 season, after Spyker announced their intention to sell 50% of the team, less than a year after Spyker bought it from Midland. The cost of the team was € 88 million, several million more than Spyker paid for the team initially.
2008 and onwards
Adrian Sutil testing for Force India in January 2008.
Colin Kolles will remain as team principal into 2008. Michiel Mol is director of F1 racing, and
Mike Gascoyne is the Chief Technology Officer.
Force India will use the Spyker F8-VII chassis for the first part of the 2008 season. The team will be using customer Ferrari engines in 2008, with the team's existing deal with Ferrari running to 2010. The team will also be using the Indian flag in its team logo from 2008. Former Spyker sponsor Etihad Airways have a contract with the team until 2009, and have yet to announce any changes to this arrangement. Force India will construct their own cars as Spyker did, as opposed to using customer chassis. Force India has a contract with Adrian Sutil for 2008.
In November 2007 the team invited Vitantonio Liuzzi, Christian Klien, Giancarlo Fisichella, Ralf Schumacher, Franck Montagny and former Spyker test drivers Giedo van der Garde and Roldan Rodriguez to take part in winter tests along with Sutil. Giancarlo Fisichella was reported to have taken the second seat at Force India after being replaced at Renault F1 by Fernando Alonso.
On January 10, 2008, Force India confirmed Giancarlo Fisichella as first driver and Vitantonio Liuzzi as a test driver. Adrian Sutil had already been confirmed and took the Second Driver Role.Also former Spyker test drivers Roldan Rodriguez and Giedo van der Garde have been confirmed as test drivers for Force India F1.
Pictures of Force India
Renault R28
Renault ran their new car, the R28, at a foggy Valencia circuit for the first time this morning.
After a poor 2007 season, the new car is substantially different in its aerodynamic treatment over the R27 - the front end in particular being innovative, with a new front wing arrangement and a switch to a zero keel front suspension.
The team endured a tough year in 2007 with the transition to Bridgestone tyres and the loss of Fernando Alonso to McLaren. The tyre changes unearthed aerodynamic problems not apparent with the Michelins and the team spent a lot of time early in the season calmly understanding where the problems lie.
Whereas the 2007 car was a clear evolution from the previous championship-winning machine, the new car adopts many new designs and bears only a few recognisable features from its forebear. The whole front end is a new solution, starting with a large nose cone, which sits low over the front wing.
The new nose also forms the mounting for the front wing, the usual vertical plates that mount the front wing are now nearer horizontal mounting the point where the front wing dips into the spoon section. This is a neater solution and makes some use of the mounting plates to manage the flow over the front suspension.
Above the main wing is a bridge wing. Renault have added a small support between the nose and wing, to ensure it doesn't move - perhaps mindful after the problems of 2007 that the wing is consistent and does not move about altering the aero balance.
One big change is the move away from a "V keel" to a Zero Keel set up. This appears to ape Ferrari's design, with the upper wishbone being spaced from the tub to retain ideal suspension geometry. Bargeboards are slightly revised, with the forward vanes being mounted McLaren-like to the tub.
The sidepod treatment is also very different. Last year's car had the pod wing, wing mirror and flip merged together, while this year they are split up - the pod wings are smaller, the mirrors moved to near the cockpit and the flip-ups now start further back and down along the sidepods.
This flip-up is now mounted to a removable panel, suggesting more development is due in this area. While the sidepods themselves have a shape that appears sunken and slimmed towards the rear.
Along with the placement of the chimney and flip-up, the new sidepods appear disconcertingly like Honda's unsuccessful 2007 car. The teardrop-shaped exhaust fairings are retained, with the exhausts sat deep within the covers.
Above the sidepods the engine cover is very low and the upper section is slimmed in typical 2007 fashion, with dimensional strakes to meet the rules concerning minimum width.
At the rear a large outlet duct is formed, presumably to vent the heat from hydraulics, as with the Ferrari F2007. Although the rear end is very narrow, it does appear wider due to the fairing over the rear upper suspension, which is spaced from the gearbox in a similar manner to the front suspension.
Lastly, the diffuser appears similar to that one used in 2007, with the rear brake ducts and suspension arms in similar positions.
As the car is not yet formally launched, there is no word on the cars layout regard wheelbase weight distribution.
No doubt Renault have chosen to put more weight forward to suit the Bridgestones tyres, but how this is achieved will have to wait until the official launch at the end of the month in Paris.
Pictures of Renault R28 (sorry but these are the largest I could find, until I get bigger ones these will be OK)
Honda RA108
Honda Racing F1 has launched the new RA108 at its team headquarters in Brackley. The car is significantly different to the unsuccessful RA107 and also features an evolution of last year's livery, promoting the concept of "Earth Dreams" rather than "My earth dream". This will involve Honda making active donations to schemes that will improve the the lives of people around the world either by improving the environment in which they live or working to solve problems that have been created. This active kind of sponsorship is a new idea in F1 but Honda hopes will reflect well on the company, in addition to continuing the process of promoting the high technology image of Honda.
"There have been significant changes in the team," said chief executive Nick Fry. "We have adopted a philosophy of accelerated evolution to bring experience to the team. The design philosophy is completely different. We have tried to bring in experienced people in all the major disciplines and we have evolved the Earth Dream concept."
The new team principal Ross Brawn said that the problem last year was overly aggresssive downforce which made the car very sensitive to pitch and roll and so much work has gone into giving the drivers downforce that is more useable. The chassis has been slimmed down and the design has allowed for a lot of leeway in terms of development as the team is planmning a very aggressive programme from the base car that was presented.
"There are some quite dramatic changes to come," Brawn said.
The RA108 was run for the first time last week in Valencia with Rubens Barrichello driving and the test went well, according to Brawn.
"The main objective was to check out all the systems and reliability. We were very pleased. It had fewer problems than any car I've worked on in recent years."
Brawn said that the team wants to get back to "a respectable points scoring position" and build from there."
Barrichello, who this year will become the most experienced F1 driver of all time, beating Riccardo Patrese's longtime record of race starts. It is Rubens's 16th season in F1.
Pictures/wallpapers of Honda RA108
Williams FW30
Today marks the start of the Williams team's 30th season of Formula 1 racing and to mark the event the team will unveil the first of six different liveries that will be used this winter to celebrate a sequence of landmarks in the history of the team, which will also take part in its 500th Grand Prix this year.
The Monaco Grand Prix, however, will be Sir Frank Williams’s 600th World Championship event as an entrant, spanning 39 years. FW has missed only 23 races in the four decades in which he has been involved in F1, most of them following his road accident in 1986. He established Frank Williams (Racing Cars) Ltd at the end of 1966 and the team debuted in Formula 3 the following year. In 1968 the team ran in Formula 2 (during which time it employed a pay-driver called Max Mosley alongside hotshoe Piers Courage) and entered F1 with an ex-works Brabham at the Spanish Grand Prix of 1969 at Barcelona's Montjuich Park. Courage was second in the next race in Monaco.
In the years that followed Williams entered cars with a variety of different names including de Tomaso, Politoys, Iso-Marlboro and Wolf-Williams before establishing Williams Grand Prix Engineering with Patrick Head in 1977. The classic Williams FW07 won the team its first victory in 1979 and its first World Championship in 1980.
When the season begins in Australia, Williams will surpass Enzo Ferrari's record of 38 years as an F1 entrant. Ferrari was an entrant in Grand Prix racing before World War II but there was no World Championship at that point and so his record stretches only from the inception of the FIA series in 1950 to Ferrari's death in 1988. In that time his cars competed in 441 Grandes Epreuves (a little-used designation that means a World Championship event). Williams has managed 594 because of the increased frequency of races in recent years.
The team will reveal the new Williams-Toyota FW30 in Valencia on January 22 but the team says that it is not planning any kind of launch and will simply roll out the car and begin testing - in the finest traditions of the no-nonsense team.
The Ferrari team still holds the record for the most races entered in F1 with a total of 758 events out of the 785 Grandes Epreuves that have taken place since the World Championship kicked off at Silverstone in the spring of 1950.
Pictures/wallpapers of Williams FW30
Red Bull RB4
Red Bull Racing have launched their 2008 challenger, the RB4, on the third day of testing at Jerez.
The RB4 is the second car to have been built by technical guru Adrian Newey and the team are hoping that the new car can deliver more reliability in a bid to be even more competitive this season.
Driver Mark Webber is hoping that because the team has stayed the same through 2007 and onto 2008, the continuity will help them on their way to better results in 2008.
“The biggest thing for us this year is the continuity,” he said. “We have the same engine, we have the same drivers, and we have the same technical staff. All the engineers that David and I worked with are the same, so that’s going to help us come Sunday afternoon.”
Pictures/wallpapers of Red Bull RB4
Flavio Briatore and his slaute (Hitler - Gruß?) in Melbourne
Flavio Briatore is well known for his theatrical tendencies, particularly on the pitwall at races, but his sense of humour landed him in hot water in Germany over the weekend after he went down to the Mercedes-Benz garage in Melbourne to visit Norbert Haug and attracted the attention of his black leather jacket-clad pal with what eyewitnesses say was a stiff-armed salute and a click of his heels. Those present say that Haug responded by placing one figure under each of his own nostrils. While this may have been to stop his upper lip trembling with the emotion caused by Briatore's gesture, it seems more likely that Herr Haug was responding in a jocular manner. A passing German photographer thought Briatore's salute was newsworthy and the picture was published in Bilt, which suggested the obvious. In Germany it is a very serious thing to give a Nazi salute and those found guilty can be fined and even jailed.
Briatore is threatening to sue the newspaper in question.
Hopefully everyone will learn something from this interlude and European union can be restored quickly.
A few pictures I found here:
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Toyota TF108
The Toyota TF108 is the car that Toyota will compete in the 2008 Formula One season
Launch
The 2008 Toyota challenger the Toyota TF108 was launched on the 10th of January 2008, with a new longer wheelbase to aid stability and a totally new aero package that is hoped will give the car great potential. The car isnt a evolution of the previous years Toyota TF107, it has been designed from an evolution of the Toyota TF106 but with a promice of "The primary aerodynamic design philosophy for the TF108 is geared towards optimising the entire package" Pascal Vasselon the teams Chassis General Manager said. The car also has the new for 2008 higher headrests arround the drivers head and also has the new standard McLaren Electronic Systems ECU that prevents the car having driver aids.
Changes In Aerodynamics
Toyota have adopted a McLaren MP4-22 like bridge on the front wing.
The team have also moved the rear view mirrors outboard, like Ferarri and Renault.
The TF108 has also had a major focus on cleaning the air flow arround the front suspension as well, maximising the Zero Keel concept of the front suspension.
Early 2008 Testing
Timo Glock was fastest in Testing at Jerez on the 17th of January, whilst test driver Kamui Kobayashi was 7th fastest on the same day.
Pictures/wallpapers of Toyota TF108
