I would probably invest some the money in advanced driving/racing schools in Europe, and then use the extra cash to get myself noticed by F1 teams in a less-expensive racing series (F3000, Touring Cars, etc.).
I'm not even close to being good enough. I'm also too old, too tall and too heavy. Give me $1m and watch me become a motorsport photographer. These things are addictive and beautiful and make such uncompromising subjects, that for every ten pictures you throw out, there's one you get right, and you just stare at it, at the speed in it, at the shapes, the beauty.
I would retire to a large beachfront house on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, filling my time with golf, bodyboarding, and watching my very large television.
hell yes i would. if i had more i would see if i could go partners with jordan. managing a team would be the perfect challenge as well.
btw, i think f1 allows taller drivers a chance, compared to indy/CART. if im correct there is one driver at 6ft and others just under that. coulthard might be the 6fter cant remember.
I doubt I'd ever want to get into Formula 1. I've driven tin-top and open-wheel racing cars at Donnington Park, and the touring cars were definately more fun. You got a greater sense of speed in the single-seater, but the tin-top was just more fun to drive, so I'd be looking at getting into something like Touring Cars or possibly NASCAR before I thought about F1. Rallying looks like it'd be a laugh as well.
Yeah, that's the total team budget. Remember that a customer engine deal costs in the region of $10 - $15m per year. All the other costs are just frightening. If you want to start an F1 team, you have to lodge a $30m bond with the FIA, which they then repay over the first year.
Michael Schumacher's contract is nominally for $28m per year, but he gets certain bonuses on top of that, plus there's his personal merchandising rights, which some say add up to roughly $70m per year.
Ferrari's budget this year is just over $300m. McLaren, Renault and Toyota all spend close to that. Williams, BAR and Jag a tad lower, Jordan lower still. Sauber, Minardi and Arrows less than $100m but over $50m.
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If I had the money I'd start an F3000 team. You go to most of the GPs, you have good racing, success still has to be earned.
These things are addictive and beautiful and make such uncompromising subjects, that for every ten pictures you throw out, there's one you get right, and you just stare at it, at the speed in it, at the shapes, the beauty.
