JENSON BUTTON has scoffed at suggestions the drivers will go on strike at next month's British Grand Prix.
Such a remarkable prospect was suggested by Fernando Alonso as a way for world governing body, the FIA, to slash the price of the super licence and the amount paid by drivers per point earned. At the start of the year, FIA president Max Mosley confir
med the cost of the licence – the document that allows drivers to compete in F1 – would rise from £1,354 to £7,858, while the points levy would cost £1,570 from £357.
Although the money goes towards maintaining safety standards, the Grand Prix Drivers' Association are in uproar and determined that Mosley has a re-think. If not, one of the prospects open to the GPDA is for its members to go on strike, although such a possibility has been quashed by a number of other drivers.
Honda star Button said: "I'm sure they could strike, but I don't think sponsors and contracts would allow them. It's obviously a lot harder on those drivers scoring hundreds of points every year. I think the shock for the drivers is that the fee has jumped so much this year compared to last year."
Mosley imposed the new levy retrospectively, which led to world champion Kimi Raikkonen, Lewis Hamilton and Alonso paying around £180,000 last year to compete in F1.
Veteran David Coulthard believes a compromise will be found as he maintains the possibility of a strike is "rubbish." "Not every driver pays his super licence," said the Scot.
"Some of the drivers have an agreement in their contract where the team pay the super licence.
"As it's a form of income for the FIA they have decided 'well, we will take part of that from the drivers'. But it's affecting some and not others, which is not entirely fair, so it needs to be discussed and understood."
The full article contains 331 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
