F1 News
Leap of Faith: What these F1 driver's families did for them to make it
- Savannah Lenz
Making it in the world of motorsport is not easy, nor is it cheap. To truly make it to the top, you have to be willing to make hard decisions and huge sacrifices. As many drivers start their motorsport careers at a young age through karting, most of the sacrifices are made by the whole family. Their families have had to make hard sacrifices to get where they are today.
The average annual cost of karting at the regional/local championship level is around €30,000 - €42,000. The cost of the national karting championship level rises to €102,000- €132,000. The costs steadily increase each year and at each level. For a seat in Formula 2, it is rumoured to be a minimum of €2 million. The costs of a karting career can often act as a barrier. Not all families are in a position to make a considerable sacrifice to allow their kids to follow their dreams. Luckily for them, these drivers' families were willing and able to help their child grow up to be a Formula 1 driver.
Examples of F1 family sacrifices
Recently appointed Red Bull Racing driver Liam Lawson’s family was one of those. Due to the prices of karting in New Zealand, his family had to sell their house to be able to afford his karting carer. His sisters had to give up their dancing career, which was at a national level, for Lawson to continue climbing the ladder. After he replaced Sergio Perez, Lawson spoke to Sky Sports and admitted that his family still didn’t own a house.
Another family that had to make the tough decision to sell their house was Esteban Ocon’s (Haas). He has often told the story of how he once lived in a caravan. His parents were willing to take a leap of faith and live out of a caravan for his career. Ocon once mentioned that after a race weekend, his family would park in his school parking lot so that they would be there in the morning for school.
While Pierre Gasly (Alpine) has not specified what financial sacrifice his family had to make, he has described them as extreme. One of the stories Gasly has told about his rise to Formula 1 was about a time when he saw tax collectors come to his house. Due to the cost of his career, his family could not afford to pay their taxes. The Gasly family have spoken about the hard work that went into getting his sponsorships and how much it took out of them. Not every sacrifice is financial.
Many drivers and their families have had to sacrifice time together. Between travelling, working multiple jobs, raising other children, and contacting sponsors, not every driver got to be with their parents. Lewis Hamilton’s (Ferrari) dad used to work three jobs to pay for his karting career. Oscar Piastri’s (McLaren) family had to make the hard decision to let him move to England as a young boy. For those not European-based, it was much more difficult for the families due to the distance they had to travel.
Many F1 drivers got to where they are today due to their hard work and perseverance. While money is a big aspect of the sport, it also takes dedication, talent and a good management team to get the drivers into Formula 1. With only 20 seats up for grabs, every driver on the grid and their families have worked hard to get the contract signed, solidifying their seat at one of the highest levels in motorsport.
Want more Formula 1? Then follow GPblog on our various social media channels!