We all know F1 drivers earn in millions, but have you ever wondered how much do F1 pit crew members make?
F1 is now among the leading sports in the world. Millions of dollars are paid to the pit crew staff each year for their efforts during the season. In modern-day racing, only the fastest would survive and that’s why it’s very important to invest in a good crew of staff. F1 Pit Crew members’ salaries were reported in 2015 for the first time and it has only increased with time.
All teams bring the best of the mechanical engineers, tire changers, and crew chiefs with years of experience. Crew Chief is the main person of any pit crew staff – he is the one who selects tire changers, and engineers before the race. Currently, not much information about all Pit crew salaries is available in detail but let’s look at the top earners among the pit crew staff.
The highest paid person among Formula 1 pit crew staff is the crew chief. He’s the one who holds the most important duties regarding pit stops. The top racing teams in Formula 1 pay expensive salaries to their crew chief. Some teams pay contract-based salaries to the staff members.
After the crew chief, the refueling person holds the most important responsibility of fueling the car according to the laps strategy. A refueling person earns $350,000 annually working with top F1 racing teams such as (Ferrari, McLaren, BMW, and Red Bull Racing). After the refueling staff, the tire changers – who select the tires according to weather and circuit, who are offered lucrative salaries. A single mistake in the selection of hard, soft, and wet tires can lead to major failures, and hence tire changers are selected very carefully.
Tire changers and carriers earn an estimated sum of $5,000 per race. But a report of GrandPrix in 2018 claimed that tire changers’ salaries can be a maximum of up to $2,500 per race. The salaries can differ depending on which team the crew engineers, tire changers, and refueling persons are working for.
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