Lack of money is the most common obstacle to the F1 dream.
Everyone knows that motorsport is an extremely expensive sport.
Even if all other areas are in order, the career will inevitably end if there is a lack of funding for the following year’s competition calendar.
– Even at the smallest, we are talking about half a million euros. For the top teams, the price of the season is in the order of a million. I didn’t have anywhere near that kind of money to offer, having buried my own F1 dream since the beginning of the year William Alatalo said.
The 20-year-old track promise was clearly the best driver in his team last season.
In the end, it didn’t weigh on the scales.
– Many stables came up with their price requests, but they have to cover the costs somehow. We weren’t really close to a deal.
In addition to Alatalo, Finnish F1 promises also dropped out of play in early 2023 Iker Oikarinen. The reason was the same: money.
Tapon’s patronage
The fate of Alatalo is easy to understand. At the F3 level, even the minimum budgets run into hundreds of thousands of euros, and not even all F1 drivers receive a salary from their employers.
They too have to ensure their livelihood from their own sponsors.
– Yeah, the amounts are much bigger than when Valtteri (Bottas) started, Finland’s most famous car racing sponsor Antti Aarnio-Wihuri told about his new collaboration Tuukka Taponen with.
Taponen’s name has been heavily featured in the media. He is rumored to be the next Finnish F1 champion.
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Wihuri’s sticker can now also be found on Tuukka Taponen’s helmet. PDO
In the name of truth, the road there is still long. Of course, Taponen is currently still completely on schedule.
– Yes, the sums were big even for Valtteri at the end, Aarnio-Wihuri continued.
“Help is needed”
In practice, young railway hopefuls have no other option but to walk from door to door clutching their hat.
– Of course, athletes can apply for a grant from the ministry or the Olympic Committee, head of track racing Henri Karjalainen focus.
So it is the same route that all other athletes apply for support. Taponen’s coaching team received EUR 54,580 in support for the current year from OK.
Although the sum is significant, it must be noted that it is aimed at athletes who are already quite advanced in their careers. And the sums don’t go very far in motorsport.
– They certainly don’t cover the entire sport, confirms Karjalainen.
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William Alatalo drove the F3 race in Bahrain last spring. PDO
Karjalainen supervises the development of the promises wearing the vest of the Finnish umbrella organization AKK. He feels sympathy for drivers suffering from financial difficulties, but he doesn’t have any great wisdom either.
– The financing of the sport mainly consists of the marketing of joint partners, sponsors and companies and the desire to support youth sports. It is the most important cornerstone.
– The help of companies is needed.
Part of the species
AKK has no direct role in obtaining sponsorship contracts for drivers or in making them possible. The umbrella organization administers the rules of the sport and maintains the license system.
– Of course, in the national team coaching, we learn about how to make and develop a career plan. It involves guidance on how to appear and how to acquire partners.
Collecting sufficient funding is indeed a crucially important part of motorsport. You can’t practice the sport without it.
– For us, coaching does not mean that we pay the drivers, Karjalainen underlines.
Karjalainen also reminds that if the goal is not quite there in the king class of the sport, track racing is also quite reasonably priced.
– You can enjoy karting very cheaply when you drive domestic national competitions. For example, you can get used cars very cheaply.
– Of course, costs increase when driving abroad and at a higher level.
“Looking for profit”
You also have to remember that even if you find a supporter, his help is often not completely unsolicited.
– This doesn’t just come from a good heart. Benefit and publicity are sought from this, Aarnio-Wihuri outlined the background of the Taponen agreement.
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Iker Oikarinen’s background troops ran out of money. MATTI MATIKAINEN
At its worst, it can be seen if the promise of success is not fulfilled. It sets a painful example Aaro Vainiowho got to drive for three seasons By Nicholas Todt with full funding.
Last year’s final race ended in disappointment due to a 20-second time penalty. Vainio had slipped by a few hundredths of a second too fast sector time in the area of yellow flags.
In practice, the sports career of an 18-year-old Finnish youth was dropped overnight. Vainio was rudely left out of the entire program.
– If an agency like Todt has invested millions in you, F1 is the only goal. When that doesn’t happen, nothing else matters. Someone’s salary in the GT class will never return that investment again, Koiranen GP CEO Afa Heikkinen commented on the fate of his former driver promise.