P1racenews AI automatic summary:
It was a major change that the F1 drivers agreed to – and quite an expensive one!
Seventeen years ago, F1 drivers were engaged in a tense deadlock with the FIA that threatened to derail the start of the 2009 season. It revolved around a dispute over the F1 driver super licence fees as the sport’s governing body wanted to see a substantial increase in the charges. Every driver requires a super licence to compete in F1, and in the modern era, the path to achieving the licence largely depends on junior career results. Significantly, a fee must be paid every year for the drivers to retain the licence. For Lewis Hamilton, who had won the 2008 world championship, the 2009 bill totalled approximately €218,920. FIA president Max Mosley stated that drivers should contribute to safety costs. Currently, the basic fee for the super licence sits at €11,842, while the price-per-point has increased to €2,392.
