I just started getting really into F1 last year and have never really been interested in Nascar but as I get more familiar with all the ins and outs of professional race teams (Specifically F1) and the massive expense to run and operate these teams I guess i'm a bit disheartened to find out almost all of the current F1 drivers were/are multimillionaires prior to coming into the sport and some get to drive specifically because their family can bring X millions to the team for the year.

Button's Dad... rich. Hamilton's Dad... rich. Webber seems to be one of the few that truly fought his way up through the ranks over a long time unless i'm missing something?

I guess part of me wishes that talent and talent alone would determine who the elite drivers are in the world but that doesn't seem to be the case.

I guess as with any sport - those that succeed start at a young age and have the financial backing to do so (be it football or go karts). Just wanted to know what you guys all thought on it?

Has there been a time in F1 when a true grass roots come from nothing hero was given the chance to compete on the world stage based on their raw talent?

 

Motorcycle racing is going down that path too. At a national level, only a small percentage of riders are making any money doing it. Many of the riders are actually paying for their ride. It's pretty sad.

 

I would say that while money does buy you a seat, you need raw talent to keep it. I would argue that Hamilton and Button both put in a fair amount of time to get where they are today, and Vettel too. Fact of the matter is, racing is expensive on any level, whether it's karting, stock car racing, SCCA, ALMS, or especially F1. That's just the nature of the beast. If you're truly a shining example of driving perfection and get started at the right age, you can make it to the big leagues but a lot of it comes down to luck and recognizing/nurturing the talent at a very young age.

As for paid seats, that's been going on as long as racing as existed. From day 1, racing was strictly a sport of the rich playboys who could afford a car. Now that racing as become a team sport, drivers who don't have the skill or patience to work their way through the ranks plop down the dough to get into a seat in their series of choice.

 

Only top 3 in F1 actually makes money, the rest has to pay... The drivers aren't the best either, there just having fun, but there are many much better drivers that can't afford F1.

The best example must be Valentino Rossi, I remember that he had the opportunity to drive an Ferrari F1 car once, on that first day he broke all records Schumi had on that track

 

Link to source on that? I thought I recall him setting decent lap times (within a second or two of typical F1 drivers), but no records.

Anyhow, that's not a great example. If you'll recall last year's season finale and the testing that took place shortly thereafter...Ricciardo's best time in Vettel's car was quicker than the pole for that final GP, but it just means that with enough time to set hot lap after hot lap anything can happen (especially with variable weather conditions).

 

Heck, even those racing in a crap can series like LeMons or ChumpCar bitch about how much it costs but it's a hell of a lot cheaper than playing with the big dogs. Like most of the fun stuff in life, if it were cheap, everyone would be doing it.

 

Just a fact of life. Racing = rich kids sport

Just like the kids who played golf, were on the ski team, ice hockey team when i was growing up....they all had money from their parents to do these sports. The rest of us just played basketball, soccer, baseball, football...and even those added up to a few bucks (air jordans, new bat and glove, etc)

 

I was going to bring up hockey. Not one kid I ever played on a team with was ever struggling to get by. The costs were high. Shit, top of the line skates are up to $800, sticks are $200+. Now think of a kid going though growth spurts and having to buy new gear every six months. Not to mention ice fees,and travel costs. Racing can only cost more.

 

Glad to see you are a fan of F1 now. With that said, you have to have money to start out. If you don't, you better be a great negotiator to get a sponsorship to fund it. It only gets more expensive the higher up you go.