Coming off the back of reports over the weekend of Raikkonen demanding too much money from Toyota, new reports are emerging that, just four days after taking the Drivers and the Constructors titles in Brazil, all is not well at Brawn GP.
There has been plenty of speculation over the past few months that Jenson Button, as his title fight became stronger and stronger, was posturing for more money from Brawn next year. When Ross Brawn and Nick Fry bought out Honda’s share of the team and created Brawn GP, in order for the team to hit the ground with a reasonable chance at running, the drivers took a pay-cut. Jenson was rumoured to have taken a cut from £5mil to £3mil.
He said during his press conference yesterday that he wasn’t “that expensive” but reports seem to be implying otherwise. Not only is Jenson supposedly unhappy with his offered contract for next year in terms of money, but the team back in Brackley are said to be unhappy with the bonuses they have been given in the wake of what is being touted as F1s greatest fairytale story.
On the one hand, you have to laugh. To most of us, quibbling over the difference between £5million and £3million is absurd, unimaginable. But, put yourself in Jenson’s shoes. He has driven that car all year, got Brawn GP to where they are today, and has spent the majority of his 9 years in f1 in a terrible car, taking a “small” wage. Now, he is World Champion. He has proven that he is worth more money.
On the other hand, you can forgive Jenson £5million when you look at the fact that Toyota couldn’t shell out an estimated 25 million Euro’s for a man who hasn’t won the World Championship in 2 years. Jenson, it could be argued, is the reigning World Champion. Is £5 million, £7 million, £10 million really so much to be asking for?
As Jenson said over the weekend, he’s not as expensive as some of the other drivers (Kimi, Alonso, Hamilton), and he seemed to imply that it’s not so much the money that is the problem, as he got to drive a spectacular car for most of the year, it’s more a matter of faith, recognition.
And once you get past the huge amounts of money involved, you can see where he’s coming from. You do well in your job, you prove yourself and help elevate the company, you get recognition, you get a pay rise. Should that be different for F1 drivers simply because it’s millions and not hundreds or thousands?
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