Vettel Rules Out Drivers' Strike

The F1 drivers are indeed unhappy with the fees they are required to pay in order to get their superlicense for 2009, but the possibility of them going to strike about it doesn't seem probable. At least that's what one of the youngest members of the Grand Prix Drivers Association says, according to German publication Rheinische Post.

Present at the unveiling of the new Red Bull RB5 at Jeres, Sebastien Vettel insisted the GPDA statement last week did not issue any threats to the FIA but simply wanted to break out their disagreement with the high superlicense fees imposed from as early as 2008. The important thing is that drivers do want to race in 2009, but are urging the FIA to meet them halfway.

“No, I do not see that, because we do want to drive. Everyone should be careful how they treat this issue, because no-one wants the headlines to say that the drivers are going to strike. That has never been said, only that we are not happy with the situation. We are open to cooperate with the FIA. What happens in the future, we will have to wait and see,” said Vettel, according to the aforementioned source.

According to the latest statement issued by the GPDA, the F1 drivers are asking the FIA president Max Mosley to bring back the superlicense fees that were applied before the 2008 season, with the necessary adjustments due to inflation included.

After 2007, the FIA brought in an enormous increase in superlicense fees from 1,690 Euros until 2007 to 10,000 Euros in 2008, while the points' fees were raised from 447 euros per point to 2,000 euros per point. For 2009, the FIA have announced that those fees will be further increased due to inflation.