Low salaries

Ex-F1 engineer opens up: “Wants to get a life”

A back-breaking job: mechanic in Formula 1(Bild: AFP/APA/Andrej ISAKOVIC)

Former Formula 1 engineer Blake Hinsey, who was employed by Red Bull Racing, has spoken out about the low wages for mechanics in the premier class. "For me, the F1 ship has sailed - I have no interest in a 24-race calendar. I quit after 21 races because I wanted to have a life," said Hinsey.

Compared to other racing series in particular, you would earn very little in Formula 1. The engineers often have long working hours and are under enormous pressure. They sometimes push themselves physically and mentally to their limits and hardly see their families - no wonder with 24 races a year.

Hinsey, who worked for Red Bull from 2014 to 2021, vented his frustration on X. Among other things, he claims that F1 engineers earn less than a part-time employee in the WEC, which highlights a huge inequality despite the immense financial resources in Formula 1. "Do you want to know how shitty the cost cap is in Formula 1? I just had a casual conversation with a recruiter about a job as an F1 race engineer. Their top salary was lower than what I made last year as a part-time performance engineer in the WEC in an LMDh team," the American revealed.

"F1 ship has sailed"
"Why aren't the team bosses pushing harder for an increase in the cost cap to reflect the rise in the cost of living and inflation? Oh yes... because the teams that are profitable can probably pocket the bosses and shareholders some of what they don't spend," criticized the ex-Red Bull man. "For me, the F1 ship has sailed - I have no interest in a 24-race calendar. I quit after 21 races because I wanted to have a life."

But for his former colleagues, "it makes me angry that the FOM, the FIA and the teams themselves are taking the piss out of the sport, including a large number of my friends, just because it's F1."