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Formula One is the highest level of single-seater racing series defined by the FIA. Motorsport, in general, is one of the most expensive sport to pursue. Most drivers are backed by manufacturers and big sponsors, gone are the days where you could build a formula car in your backyard and enter the racing series.
Typically a driver starts off with karting, then moves on to the junior formula ranks or touring car series, endurance racing etc.. and the ultimate goal over the years is the pinnacle called F1. Some of the drivers have spent more than a decade chasing their dream, some go onto be successful, the rest of the lot race for a season or two, sometimes just a race or two.
Most of the big names in the sport have come the hard way. You could also be a Formula One driver if you had good car control, love for the sport and a lot of money! Yes, you heard it right, Money!
Over the years the sport has seen a lot of paid drivers who were backed by their millionaire families or friends. Here is the list of Top 5 filthy rich F1 kids.
#5- Giedo Van Der Garde
Giedo is a Dutch racing driver who drove in Formula One just for one year ie 2013 for the Caterham F1 team and then joined Sauber as a reserve driver in the next year. He made his first entry in 2013 at Australian Grand Prix and was last seen at Brazilian Grand Prix in the same year. He couldn't achieve single victory in his career
His whole Junior Formula career was sponsored by Marcel Boekhoorn. The billionaire is an owner of personal sponsor McGregor and this reason became apparent in 2013 when Van Der Garde married Marcel's daughter, Denise. Giedo took the highest finish of 14th with Caterham at the 2013 Hungarian Grand Prix. He paid for a 2015 seat with Sauber but his contract wasn't honored and all his funds were fraudulently seized during the time of extreme financial crisis.
#4-David Charles Purley
David Charles Purley was a British racing driver who contested in 11 Formula One races. He marked his F1 debut at Monaco Grand Prix in 1973 and was last seen at British Grand Prix in 1977. He was seen at his very best at 1973 Dutch Grand Prix where he abandoned his own race to save the life of fellow driver Roger Williamson.
He is the son of Charles Purley, founder of LEC refrigeration and therefore David joined the F1 grid driving a March chassis bearing the LEC name in 1973. He continued racing in F1 championships until he faced an embarrassing failure to pre-qualify for the 1975 British Grand Prix. Purley perished in 1985 after crashing an aerobatic biplane into the English channel. Being sponsored by his own father, one can imagine the level of privilege he had during the onset of his career.
#3- Lance Stroll
Lance Stroll is a Belgian-Canadian racing driver who races in Formula One under the Canadian flag. He is currently driving in F1 with Williams. He made it to the podium for the first time at 2017 Azerbaijan Grand Prix becoming the 2nd youngest driver to finish a race on podium and youngest to do so during his rookie season.
The billionaire father Lawrence Stroll has always been funding Lance's career from the outset. Lance joined the F1 grid with Williams in 2017 after conducting an extensive testing program using a 2014 car. His father along with a bunch of financial heavyweights own the Racing Point Force India Formula 1 team and his net worth is estimated to be around $2.4 Billion. Lance Stroll is also rumored to move to the Force India team as a replacement to the Frenchman Esteban Ocon. Now one can imagine the luxuries to which Lance would be accustomed off and on the tracks.
#2- Pedro Diniz
Pedro Paulo Falleiros dos Santos Diniz is former Brazilian racing driver who had a stint of 5 years with Formula One. He marked his F1 debut at 1995 Brazilian Grand Prix, driving for Forti and was last seen at Malaysian Grand Prix in 2000. He couldn't achieve a single Grand Prix victory in all these years.
Diniz's career was purely funded by a great lot of wealth accumulated by his father who is the owner of both a Brazilian chain and a large supermarket chain. Due to all these funds, he could kick off his F1 career at the age of 25. He drove in Formula One with Ligier, Arrows and Sauber team after having a start with Forti. He left F1 in the year 2000 and founded the Formula Renault 2.0 Brazilian Championship which he ran from 2002-2006. Having enjoyed all the luxuries provided by his father in his career, one can tell how loaded and lucky Pedro is.
#1- Wolfgang Von Trips
Wolfgang Alexander Albert Eduard Maximilian Reichsgraf Berghe von Trips was a German racing driver who was active in Formula One for 5 years from 1956-1961. He drove for Scuderia Ferrari for a majority of his career and achieved 2 Grand Prix victories. He marked his F1 debut at 1956 British Grand Prix and was last seen at 1961 Italian Grand Prix.
He was born into a German Noble Rhineland family and dabbled in F1 from 1956-59 driving for Porsche, Lancias, and Ferrari before committing to his first full season with Ferrari in 1960. A tragedy at Monza in 1961 shook the world which ultimately took his life. During the race his Ferrari collided with Jim Clark's Lotus, became airborne and then crashed into side barriers. It threw Von trips fatally from the car and took along the life of 15 spectators.
