FEBRUARY 6, 2009

Drivers make unwise move

The Formula 1 drivers has issued a statement trying to justify their claims that they are asked too much for their F1 superlicences. This is not a very smart move, given the economic hardships in the world and the vast salaries they are being paid. The drivers complain about the increases and that they were not consulted and say that the increases are "inherently unfair".

The Formula 1 drivers has issued a statement trying to justify their claims that they are asked too much for their F1 superlicences. This is not a very smart move, given the economic hardships in the world and the vast salaries they are being paid. The drivers complain about the increases and that they were not consulted and say that the increases are inherently unfair.

The GPDA has - on behalf of all drivers holding Super Licences including the non-GPDA members - appropriately and professionally sought to resolve the issue privately with the FIA throughout the 2008 season, culminating in a meeting with Max Mosley at the Italian Grand Prix last September which opened up the way for further discussion. Mosley requested that the drivers disclose their gross earnings. They declined to do this saying that was private information. If that is the case and they cannot porve that the fees are a hardship to them - which clearly they are not - then the drivers should simply be quiet and pay the bill.

Mosley said that as far as he was concerned the drivers would not be allowed to race unless they had the appropriate licence and said that that this might result in a "quiet Friday" in Melbourne, but the FIA President had little doubt that the drivers would back down under pressure from the teams in that situation.

A letter written in legalese, distributed late on a Friday evening, shows that the drivers are out of touch with reality in several ways: not only do they not understand that there will be no sympathy for their cause, but they also fail to understand that if one wants to bury a story one issues a presws release late on Friday night.