R acing in Formula One is the ultimate fairground ride. It beats even the famous Formula Rossa rollercoaster in Abu Dhabi's Ferrari World, which takes you from nought to mph in seven seconds. For the real thing, your very own drive in Formula One , all you need is the same sort of war chest required to run for the presidency of the United States.
And some driving ability. Of the 24 competitors who line up on the grid for Sunday's Australian Grand Prix one quarter will be what are called pay drivers, six men who have won their seats after pouring millions of pounds into the coffers of their respective teams. In Force India's Adrian Sutil was the solitary pay driver in the lineup.
If anyone thought that the plutocratic world of Formula One was recession-proof they can think again. The golden age of the manufacturer is over. These days, outside the leading teams, drivers are being asked to pay for their seats with lucrative sponsorship deals. And he won just one point last year. Little wonder there was no more room at Williams for Rubens Barrichello, the most experienced driver in F1. Pic's wealthy mother owns an estimated 6, trucks in France.
They can all drive. To drive in Formula One you need a super licence, and to get that you have to drive observed kilometres in an F1 car. You are also expected to have proved yourself at a lower level. But it was ultimately money that unlocked the cars for the pay drivers. So has the number of pay drivers in Formula One become a problem? Christian Horner, Red Bull's team principal, said: "Financially, it's tough times for some of the teams in F1.
But that's perhaps where Red Bull are owed more credit than they are given for investing in young guys. Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne would never have had the opportunity to get in a race car, certainly at Formula Three level, without Red Bull saying: 'OK you've got some talent, we'll invest in you.
