Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc has refused to publicly voice his views on Formula One’s proposed driver salary cap.
“It is an issue that we should discuss among ourselves as drivers and then with the FIA,” Leclerc replied when asked for his thoughts on F1 imposing a driver salary cap.
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“I have an opinion on it but I prefer to discuss it with the FIA. I want to remind [everyone] of the risks that we take on track,” he added.
The Monegasque is one of the highest-paid F1 drivers, with Ferrari paying him an estimated €11 million per season, according to Spanish sports publication MARCA.
Formula One is considering implementing a driver salary cap, with a $30 million annual cap for a team’s two drivers being floated.
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This wouldn’t affect most teams on the grid, as their total driver wage bills fall below this cap.
Sir Lewis Hamilton, who will reportedly earn €45 million in 2021, has already expressed his opposition to the proposal, saying he believes the sport shouldn’t “handicap” future stars.
“I’m not personally opposed to it, but I do think about the next up and coming young stars that are coming through and I don’t particularly see why they should be handicapped if they’re bringing something huge to the sport,” Hamilton said in late 2020.
As for the current crop of F1 drivers, Hamilton said he doesn’t see why their salaries should be limited either.
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“They’re the ones that are seen, those are the ones that bring their brands and their reputation helps elevate the sport and help it travel globally around the world,” he said.
“I think the one difference is that those places the individuals own their image in many areas, then they can try to maximise their image elsewhere. This sport controls, pretty much, the driver’s image.”
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