F1 Grand Prix of Mexico – MEXICO CITY, MEXICO – OCTOBER 27: Sebastian Vettel of Germany driving the (5) Scuderia Ferrari SF90 makes a pit stop for new tyres during the F1 Grand Prix of Mexico at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on October 27, 2019 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
The pit crew of an F1 team plays a crucial role in ensuring that their driver performs well at any given race weekend. Given the high-pressure nature of the job, it is no wonder that these individuals earn well annually. Let’s take a look at the salaries of the unsung heroes of the sport.
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The salary of an F1 pit crew member varies depending on a number of factors. These include their role within the crew, the team they work for, and their level of experience.
On average, F1 pit crew members can earn anywhere from $30,000 to $1 million per year, with the crew chief earning the most, as per Formulapedia.com. Pit crew members’ salaries can be heavily influenced by the success of the team, the performance of the car, and the overall budget of the team. Additionally, pit crew members may receive bonuses for their performance in individual races, as well as other incentives.
Here’s a general outline of the salaries within the pit crew:
Personnel
Per Race
Annual Salary
Race Winning Bonus
Crew Chief
$10,000
$1 Million
$5,000
Refueling Person
$5,000
$350,000
$2,500
Tyre Changers
$5,000
$350,000
$2,500
Tyre Carriers
$3,500
$270,000
$2,500
Jack Men
$3,000
$150,000
$500
Wing Men
$3,000
$500
Stabilizer
$2,500
$90,000
$250
Lollipop Man
$1,500
$70,000
$250
Starter Man
$750
$40,000
$250
Fire Extinguisher Man
$500
$30,000
$250
Teams such as Ferrari, Red Bull, and Mercedes tend to pay their pit crew significantly more money than smaller teams such as Haas and Williams. This disparity is due to the success these top teams have enjoyed over the years in comparison to smaller teams.
Why is F1 called Formula 1?
The sport has become quite popular around the world, partly due to the influx of social media. However, not even the most ardent fans of the sport know why it is called so and what ‘Formula’ means.
To properly understand the reasoning behind this cryptic name, it is worth looking at the history of the sport. The sport didn’t exist in its modern form until 1946. This was when the Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus (AIACR) became the FĂ©dĂ©ration Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), the governing body of the sport.
Organizers of the sport decided to call the sport ‘Formula 1’ as they felt it best described the newly emerged post-World War 2 racing series. The “1” is meant to denote that this racing series is the premier class in its category, usually implying that the cars are the fastest in their class.
The 2023 F1 season is just around the corner and is all set to begin in March. Max Verstappen and Red Bull are the current champions and will be looking to keep their sport at the top of the sport.
However, Mercedes and Ferrari have been touted to be in the championship battle from the very start of the season as well.
