Unhappy drivers admit F1 strike stories
The drivers have been angered at the 500 per cent rise imposed on them for the license which affects all 20, from Kimi Raikkonen on £25million a year, to those near the back paying for their own drives.
The new superlicense is £7,500 plus £1,500 a point, therefore Lewis Hamilton paid £176,500 under the new rule last year, while Raikkonen paid £178,000 as world champion.
“It is a ridiculous price," said Alonso, who joked: “I won’t need to pay as much this year," as he referred to his switch to Renault where he does not have the car to collect too many points.
“We have approached the FIA by letter three times, but we have not had a positive answer.
“Nothing has been agreed with them. It is difficult because the drivers have different contracts and commitments with the teams. We have to do our job.
“We ask where the money is going. The increase is massive, but we have no answer. If it is for safety and to improve circuits then we would pay – but no answer.
“It depends which drivers have to pay this amount of money. Three or four years ago my salary was not so big and it would have been a larger percentage of it.
“I have been lucky to improve in the last few years, but I am sure there are still drivers who are scoring many points for whom it is not easy. The FIA take us seriously when we talk about safety. When we suggest something about new rules that the drivers think are unnecessary or unfair, the FIA does not listen to us so much."
Raikkonen added: “If anything happened I would support it, but there is no reason to strike and not race. It is not the right way to go, but it is not fair and hopefully a solution will be found." Daily Express
06/19/08 (GMM) FIA president Max Mosley has agreed to meet with formula one drivers who are unhappy about the increased cost of their mandatory superlicense.
Stories of a possible driver strike swept the Magny Cours circuit on Thursday, after the Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA) wrote a letter to Mosley arguing that the cost increase for 2008 – up to 200,000 euros for a leading driver – was excessive.
But although GPDA director Fernando Alonso on Thursday confirmed that a strike is a worse-case possibility, F1 veteran David Coulthard said: "There's not going to be a strike.
"That's rubbish," the Red Bull driver is quoted as saying by The Press Association.
The Scot's teammate Mark Webber on Thursday also played down the prospect of a strike, but Coulthard confirmed that the superlicense issue nonetheless "needs to be discussed and understood".
Webber, meanwhile, suggested that Bernie Ecclestone might be a better person for the drivers to talk to, because Mosley is less accessible.
An FIA spokesman, however, confirmed that Mosley replied to the GPDA's letter earlier this month and agreed to meet with the drivers at a time and venue of their choosing.
The GPDA has not replied to his letter, the spokesman added.
06/19/08 (GMM) Leading formula one drivers on Thursday confirmed they are unhappy about increases to the cost of obtaining their mandatory FIA superlicenses in 2008.
At the Magny Cours circuit, Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA) director Fernando Alonso did not deny that boycott action at next month's British grand prix over the issue is possible.
Championship leader and GPDA member Robert Kubica said the cost of a F1 license increased by at least a factor of eight compared to last year.
"It's quite a lot of money, especially if you are scoring points like Lewis did last year and it's your first year in formula one," he said.
"But another point is that experienced drivers who don't have a quick car are not scoring points, so they don't care because they don't have to pay.
"So I think it will be difficult to get all drivers to have the same idea but we are trying to convince the FIA to reduce the cost."
McLaren's Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari's Felipe Massa, despite neither being GPDA members, told a news conference on Thursday that they also support the GPDA.
"For sure I support them," reigning world champion Kimi Raikkonen agreed.
"Of course it's better if it's not so expensive and it's the same for everybody, but I don't think there's any reason to go on strike and not race. I don't think that's the right way to go but it would be nice if we could reduce it," he said.
It is not clear what form a Silverstone strike might take — boycotting the drivers' parade, an official session, or the race itself.
With individual drivers bound contractually to teams, Raikkonen admitted that a completely unified front among the twenty grand prix stars is unlikely.
"It's never going to happen that all the drivers will strike. Hopefully there is some nice solution that can be found at some point," he said.
[Editor's Note: If they strike Bernie will punish them with major lawsuits for ruining a GP weekend and costing losses of millions of dollars. Bernie will destroy them and the lawsuit could wipe out for some what amounts to their life's savings.]