Have Teams Stopped Taking Pay-to-Drive Drivers?

In a sport that generates more than $3.5 billion a year, teams compete in cars that cost $70 million to develop and build — and a split-second to crash. Zachary Crockett assesses the damage.

• SOURCES:
  • Steve Cripps, chief financial officer at Williams Racing.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Everything you need to know about F1 – Drivers, teams, cars, circuits and more," (Formula 1, 2025).
  • "How Williams, F1’s ultimate underdog, found success — and might again," by Madeline Coleman (New York Times, 2025).
  • "How fast do F1 cars go?" by Amanda Clark (Red Bull, 2024).
  • "Aerodynamics in Formula 1 | F1 Explained," (Formula 1 Youtube, 2024), 
  • "Williams Racing," (Formula One History).

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