It is one of the most common questions put to anyone working in the paddock: how does a person actually break into Formula One? The answer, it turns out, is far from straightforward. Across the 11 teams alone, roughly 1,100 to 1,200 people are employed trackside every race weekend. Factor in Pirelli engineers, hospitality staff, the FIA, FOM and the media pack, and the figure on site swells to around 2,500 — sometimes closer to 3,000 at marshal-heavy events such as Singapore.
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A Pyramid With Many Doors In
At the base of this pyramid, entry-level day-hire roles can pay as little as €100 a day. At the summit, senior figures command salaries in the tens of millions. Some positions demand an engineering degree; others require a trade qualification; several need no formal qualification at all.
Cadillac: A Team Built From Zero
This new video series, produced trackside by The Motion Report, uses Cadillac as its case study — the only outfit on the grid forced to build an entire structure from scratch, all while operating under the same $215 million cost cap as its established rivals.
Watch the Full Breakdown
The full episode explores every layer of this employment pyramid, from garage mechanics to team principals, in far greater detail than text alone can capture. Subscribe to The Motion Report for the rest of this series, breaking down exactly how each F1 role is paid — and how to land one.
▶ Watch the full video below:
Formula 1 jobs, F1 careers, Cadillac F1, F1 salaries, Working in F1, F1 paddock, Motorsport careers, F1 team structure
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