Prize Money & FOCA

[Evil Weasel]

I was reading through an old F1 encyclopedia - it's ten years old but written by editor of Autosport and quite interesting. Under the section on the US GP is says:

"...in 1961, the race founds its true home. Watkins Glen, and undulating road course in upstate New York,was the host of the US Grand Prix until 1980. The event was popular with the teams, not least because in pre-FOCA days it paid the most prize money..."

This has made me wonder about a few questions.

What happened to the award of prize money and why did FOCA change this ?

Do drivers get any kind of prize/bonus for good performances?

Would it be a good idea to reintroduce an actual grand prix (big prize)?

[nudge]

I was reading through an old F1 encyclopedia - it's ten years old but written by editor of Autosport and quite interesting. Under the section on the US GP is says:

"...in 1961, the race founds its true home. Watkins Glen, and undulating road course in upstate New York,was the host of the US Grand Prix until 1980. The event was popular with the teams, not least because in pre-FOCA days it paid the most prize money..."

This has made me wonder about a few questions.

What happened to the award of prize money and why did FOCA change this ?

Do drivers get any kind of prize/bonus for good performances?

Would it be a good idea to reintroduce an actual grand prix (big prize)?

For some reason, this is a very sensative subject within formula one. Prizes for drivers depends on the individual contract he has with his employer, but prize money still exists, and in quite a big way...trouble is its the most closely guarded sectret in formula one.

[ketanpaul]

Performance based pay bonus is given in some teams, but this mostly on contractual terms. McLaren surely has it, Ferrari too gives bonuses not just to the drivers but most of the employees, even Renault does it, I think Pat Symonds got $900,000 more last year because of the constructor's victory.

[Scuderia_Russ]

Performance based pay bonus is given in some teams, but this mostly on contractual terms. McLaren surely has it, Ferrari too gives bonuses not just to the drivers but most of the employees, even Renault does it, I think Pat Symonds got $900,000 more last year because of the constructor's victory.

Win bonuses are still alive and kicking throughout motorsport today. When my tutor used to be chief mechanic for the Williams Renault Laguna Touring Car programme they used to get £100 each for a win and £75 each for second. Most weekends they were getting one, two's the lucky sods.

[Evil Weasel]

£100 bonus wasn't really the sort of big prize I was thinking of.

[Scuderia_Russ]

I gathered that, I was just saying.

[Monstrobolaxa]

What evil weasel is talking about is the prize money for the teams....in the pre-foce years the prize money was raised by the track/GP organizers of each country and distribuited in diferent ways in diferent countries. There wasn't a standard way of giving out the money, like the one implemented after the FOCA creation.

After the creation of FOCA the prize money instead of being paid by the promoters started being paid out by the "central organizing company"...FOCA! And there was/is more or less a standard way to do the distribuition....based on race results and the championship result. Now the money is paid at the end of the season....and in the pre-FOCA era it was paid on Sundays after the race was finished before the teams left the circuit.

[Evil Weasel]

....based on race results and the championship result. Now the money is paid at the end of the season....

I had assumed that the FIA divided up the TV fee revenue (or give it to Bernie) between the teams, the promoters/circuit owners get the track sponsorship money, while most team funding comings frpm their own sponsors.

Is the payment still made in accordance with results? If so surely one major problem with this or a re-introduction of a race prize is the winning teams get more money and can win more and get more money.

On a similar point, should drivers get performance related paypackets?

I have a vague memory of a driver, I think from the early '90s, that in his final couple of years was paid per point he scored to give more incentive (was it Piquet????). Admittedly not much fun if your you're a Aguri or Spyker driver.

[Monstrobolaxa]

In his last year at Benetton Piquet was getting 100k per point...if I'm not mistaken.

The payment nowadays is based on a number of things being the most importante the teams results....so yes winning teams get more money...in 2006 Renault received about 10 million more then Mclaren. The money does come from tv revenue....and track sponsorship does not go totally to the promoter...there is a percentage that goes to FOA.

I can't remember the correct numbers...I'm at my mother house untill the 1st of January...only when I return to base will I have access to all the numbers!

[sebbe]

I'm not comfortable with these “bonuses”. You’re hired to drive as fast as you can and in the most intelligent way you can, or to manage the team in the best way in order to win the championship. Getting a bonus is like being paid twice for doing your job.
I don’t think it’s the same like the “bonus for performance” you earn when the company you work for has an outstanding year.
If you ask me I’m more comfortable with a performance bonus given by will by the team and not with a bonus “enforced” by contract.

But that's just me, I'm too naive.

[manchild]

In his last year at Benetton Piquet was getting 100k per point...if I'm not mistaken.

I think it was per win (can't remember correctly).

[Monstrobolaxa]

In his last year at Benetton Piquet was getting 100k per point...if I'm not mistaken.

I think it was per win (can't remember correctly).

For his win at Canada he won 1 mil....I checked it was 100k/point