It's already creaking in the paddocks when the shortened season has not yet started. The first Grand Prix of 2020, delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, is scheduled for Sunday in Austria (2:15 p.m., live on Canal +). President of the Formula 1 Grand Prix drivers association (GPDA), the Frenchman Sébastien Grosjean is already sending a spade to the six-time world champion Lewis Hamilton untouchable on the track.
At Mercedes, the Briton earns 40 million dollars a year (more than 35 million euros) and even asks for 2021, a salary increase to 44 million dollars (just over 39 million euros). This does not please the Frenchman who speaks on behalf of the other drivers of the F1 grand barnum: "Personally I find it unacceptable that Lewis Hamilton earns more than 40 million dollars a year, and other drivers 150,000 euros, to make the same work, "said the Frenchman in parallel to the tests of the Grand Prix of Spielberg.
No pilot actually earns 150,000 euros per year. In 2019, the lowest salary was that of Antonio Giovinazzi at Alfa Romeo: 500,000 euros. At Haas, Grosjean earns 2 million euros with the 11th best salary in the garage.
#AustrianGP 🇦🇹
🗨️ "An input brake leak"
Romain Grosjean looks back on his premature retirement during free practice 1 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/XprotMhCBK
It is however true that Lewis Hamilton is far ahead of the others. With 40 million euros, he is ahead of Sebastian Vettel (35), Daniel Ricciardo (20) and Max Verstappen (12) in 2019. The disparity is important hence the proposal of the grouping of pilots in Grosjean's mouth: a salary cap as in pro American sport.
This consists of capping the maximum payroll of a team with the objective of limiting the accumulation of large salaries: “This is a discussion that took place within the association of pilots, there were pros and cons cons, says Grosjean. The problem that has been posed is that if we impose a salary cap for drivers, we risk breaking the motor sport sector. Because which manager or manufacturer will invest in a young driver, finance the start of his career if later he cannot recover money by touching a percentage of the high wages in F1? "
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Also affected by the economic crisis that hit with the Covid-19, F1 must adapt. She has already taken action with the reduction of budgets and costs at all levels: "For the big stables it will make a big difference, but the measures could have been even more extreme so that there are even more fights and surprises, ”Grosjean still thinks
