<P> Former Formula One drivers Ricardo Rosset and Alex Yoong were notorious for how much money their families spent to finance their F1 racing careers . They or other pay drivers like Giovanni Lavaggi and Jean - Denis Délétraz are usually associated with poorer performances compared to those with paid drives . Diniz was backed by his family, but throughout his career he managed to score some decent results compared to the other pay drivers of the age, scoring 10 championship points over six years (two fifth - place finishes and six sixth - place finishes, when only the top six drivers scored points, unlike the later eight and ten of today; he would have 26 points - scoring finishes using the 2013 system), when many other pay drivers did not score any . </P> <P> However, many successful drivers, such as multiple F1 world champions Niki Lauda, Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso, also started their careers as pay drivers but gradually worked their way up the racing ladder . Niki Lauda borrowed money against his life insurance to secure drives in Formula 2 and Formula 1 before impressing enough to have his debts cleared by BRM and then Ferrari . With the exception of Lauda, it is to be noted that they were regarded as highly talented and promising drivers before their F1 careers commenced, and were funded by manufacturers rather than family money or companies with no racing interest . </P> <P> However, the term pay driver is harder to define nowadays . Many of the so - called pay drivers in F1 today come with good racing records . Sergio Pérez, Pastor Maldonado, Marcus Ericsson, Felipe Nasr, Esteban Gutiérrez, Rio Haryanto, Will Stevens, Jolyon Palmer and Lance Stroll are all GP2 / GP3 / Euro F3 race winners; drivers with their records commonly move up into F1 anyway . The fact that they can bring backing just makes them more attractive than their similarly - qualified rivals . </P> <P> Some sanctioning bodies will offer champions of lower tier series a well - funded ride for the next tier . The Road to Indy programme from INDYCAR awards a ride fully funded by Mazda for a series champion in the next tier . A $150,000 and tires package is available to a shootout winner among an invited group young American and foreign drivers . A driver who wins the U.S. F2000 National Championship will win $300,000 to be used for a "pay ride" in the Pro Mazda Championship, and two sets of tires per race . Pro Mazda winners will be paid for a ride in Indy Lights, and the Indy Lights champion earns funding to compete in at least three IndyCar Series races, including the Indianapolis 500 . </P>

Do f1 drivers have to pay to drive