F1 accidents cost teams more than 32 million euros in 2022
The 2022 Formula 1 season has been littered with numerous Grand Prix accidents. The total cost of these crashes was 32.2 million for the teams. Mick Schumacher was the driver who cost his team the most.
Accidents during Formula 1 weekends have been frequent this year. Some teams and, especially, certain drivers have been much more affected – or responsible – than others. A double thorn in their team’s side: these crashes not only reduce the funds allocated to R&D, but can also have a considerable impact on the final standings of the drivers’ and constructors’ championships.
In total, accidents in races, qualifications, or even free practice will have cost 32.2 million euros to the 10 teams on the grid. The overall figure is slightly less than 25% of the budget cap.
Not all teams are equal when it comes to the cost of their drivers’ accidents. It is worth noting that McLaren and Red Bull have come out remarkably well, with “only” 1.39 million and 1.54 million spent on crashes, respectively.
At the other extreme, Williams (4.46 million) and Haas (4.25 million) are the teams that have suffered the most from their drivers’ accidents. Especially concerning Mick Schumacher (3.73 million), the driver who has caused the most expensive damage to the car, and Nicholas Latifi (3.3 million). Two drivers who will not be present on the grid next season. These exorbitant expenses undoubtedly weighed heavily in the decision to (not) renew their contracts.
Difference between teammates
We will notice, among other things, a striking contrast among some teams regarding the expenses incurred by the two drivers. Thus, at Haas, Kevin Magnussen is one of the least expensive drivers (477,000 euros), while Mick Schumacher ranks first. The American team can congratulate the Danish driver because it is solely thanks to him that they are not in the top position of this unfortunate list.
At Ferrari too, the difference between Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc is striking. The Spaniard cost Ferrari 2.66 million euros, while his Monegasque teammate is only responsible for 1.22 million euros in damages, which is more than half.
The award for the driver who cost his team the least goes to Valtteri Bottas, with barely 418,000 euros in spending… Meanwhile, his teammate Guanyu Zhou tops the leaderboard with 2.77 million euros in expenses.
Gravity of the accident
Finally, if the number of accidents is important in the calculation of the final bill, one must also consider the severity of these crashes. One single accident can prove to be very harmful if it damages particularly expensive parts of the car, such as the chassis and the gearbox. This was the case for Guanyu Zhou, for example, after his spectacular accident at Silverstone, where he found himself stuck between the safety barriers, against his own will.
But the most expensive accident belongs to Mick Schumacher in Saudi Arabia, accounting for more than half of his total bill: during the qualifying session in Jeddah, the German lost control of his car in a high-speed section on the fastest track on the grid during Q2 and collided with the barriers at turn 12 at approximately 270 km/h. The Haas driver was transferred to the hospital after this extremely violent accident, but fortunately came out unscathed. However, he was unable to participate in the race on Sunday as his car was out of service for the remainder of the weekend…
The ranking of cost per driver (in euros):
Mick Schumacher: 3,735,000.
2. Nicholas Latifi: 3,202,000
3. Guanyu Zhou: 2,772,000
4. Carlos Sainz: 2,667,000
5. Lewis Hamilton: 2,520,000
6. Sebastian Vettel: 2,160,000.
7. Esteban Ocon: 2,041,000
8. Lance Stroll: 1,986,000
9. Yuki Tsunoda: 1,323,000.
10. Fernando Alonso: 1,280,000.
11. George Russell: 1,263,000
12. Alex Albon: 1,261,000
13. Charles Leclerc: 1,225,000
14. Sergio Pérez: 1,084,000
15. Pierre Gasly: 1,053,000
16. Daniel Ricciardo: 827,000
17. Lando Norris: 572,000
18. Kevin Magnussen: 477,000.
19. Max Verstappen: 458,000
20. Valtteri Bottas: 418,000.
The total cost per team:
Williams: 4,463,000
2. Haas: 4,252,000
3. Aston Martin: 4,146,000
4. Ferrari: 3,892,000
5. Mercedes: 3,783,000
6. Alpine: 3,321,000.
7. Alfa Romeo: 3,190,000
8. AlphaTauri: 2,776,000
9. Red Bull: 1,548,000
10. McLaren: 1,398,000
