Just how much do F1 drivers earn?

Business Book GP has published a list of Formula One drivers’ income for piloting their cars round the world’s F1 Grand Prix circuits.

Just how much do the drivers of Formula One cars get for risking their lives (well, that may be a bit of an overstatement in 2012) in pursuit of a victory on the track? It seems anything from €150k to €30 million is the spread.

The biggest earner by far in F1 2012 is Fernando Alonso who gets €30 million a year for his drive at Ferrari, almost double the €16 million apiece Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton get at McLaren.

But what about the most successful team in recent years, we hear you ask? Well, Red Bull are a bit more careful with their pennies and pay Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber €10 million each, the same as Alonso’s team mate at Ferrari, Felipe Massa, takes home.

At the other end of the scale we have Bruno Senna and Nairan Karthikeyan on €250k, Brit Paul di Resta on €200k and poor old Charles Pic propping up the table on €150k from Marussia.

But remember, these F1 salaries are just for driving – even those at the bottom of the salary table are big fishes in their own local pond and doubtless earn many times more from sponsorship and appearances.

2012 Formula One Driver Earnings

1. Fernando Alonso – €30 million
2. Lewis Hamilton – €16 million
= Jenson Button – €16 million
4. Sebastian Vettel – €10 million
= Mark Webber – €10 million
= Felipe Massa – €10 million
= Nico Rosberg – €10 million
8. Michael Schumacher – €8 million
9. Kimi Raikkonen – €5 million
10. Heikki Kovalainen – €4 million
11. Timo Glock – €3 million
12. Kamui Kobayashi – €1 million
= Romain Grosjean – €1 million
14. Nico Hulkenberg – €500,000
= Sergio Perez – €500,000
= Vitaly Petrov – €500,000
= Pedro de la Rosa – €500,000
18. Jean-Eric Vergne – €400,000
= Daniel Ricciardo – €400,000
= Pastor Maldonado – €400,000
21. Bruno Senna – €250,000
= Nairan Karthikeyan – €250,000
23. Paul di Resta – €200,000
24. Charles Pic – €150,000