Don't think that Moto3, Moto2 or MotoGP makes everyone who is closely involved in the discipline rich. We could even say that there is a gulf that separates pilots, generally millionaires, and those who work for themselves, whether they are engineers, mechanics, technicians, drivers, etc.
With more than 3 people in the paddock each race weekend, that's a lot of salaries to pay. We already discussed last summer the thorny question of pilot salaries – which will undoubtedly be revised downwards, particularly among KTM or even Ducati – and, more recently, the cost of running a MotoGP machine. But what about the salaries of mechanics, engineers and team leaders? And is it different depending on the categories: Moto3, Moto2 & MotoGP?
Remember, apart from a few people in the factory teams, most of the people who work in the paddock are freelance. Without races, they therefore find themselves unemployed. Competition also rages behind the scenes, and this environment is not a world in which one enters and takes a place indefinitely. Every day is a challenge for those who work in the paddock, where they are called upon to give the best of themselves to gain confirmation for the following season.
Team leader: between €40 and €000 gross
The team leader is obviously one of the key figures in managing operations inside the garages. Often the crew chief is subject to the same media exposure as the driver they work with. From the “wizard” Guy Coulon, a figure of the Tech 3 team since its beginnings, to Santi Hernández, dedicated to Marc Márquez for years, many of these names are not unknown to you.
Guy Coulon in full discussion with Miguel Oliveira
Then there are the experienced men, who make the difference thanks to the technical knowledge they have accumulated over the years and who are obviously endowed with often infinite know-how, men like Ramon Forcada or, probably , Jeremy Burgess. Moto2 crew chiefs with a glorious past, who may have considerable experience in MotoGP and SBK, also earn a lot of money.
Christophe Bourguignon, one of the many French speakers in the paddock, with his driver Cal Crutchlow
In short, the team leader is a character who, more than anyone else on the team, helps move the market. Luigi Dall'igna could not contradict us, with all the technological advances that MotoGP owes him. Experienced professionals are well paid, and often teams wanting to invest in establishing themselves in categories such as Moto2 or Moto3 are willing to take on high profile figures for this role to ensure they are competitive on the track .
Data engineer: between €35 and €000 gross
The motorcycles on the track are full of sensors and all this data is carefully recorded. They must then be recovered and analyzed by data engineers, who compare them to the pilots' sensations. Often, the data engineer also understands areas where the pilot is not performing to their full potential, and suggests where there is room for improvement, perhaps by cross-referencing the data with that of their teammate.
Jack Miller in full debriefing with his team. Chief mechanic and data engineer are there
In short, we are talking about a very important figure inside the box, someone who can make the difference especially when making modifications to the bike or when a rider tries to change his style (Johan Zarco recently admitted following the directions given by its Ducati engineers). As in business, experience makes a big difference in setting the market price. A data analyst, usually misnamed telemetrist, who has decades of experience in MotoGP obviously has a different cost to those who are in their first season in the world championship.
Engineers fine-tune the electronics of Marc Márquez's bike before the start of the race
Mechanic: between €25 and €000 gross
A team mechanic is the person who allows the motorcycle to run on the track. The pilot has complete confidence in himself, and any error in assembling or disassembling certain parts can have a very high price, not to mention a potential fall! A rider like Rossi has more or less the same men at his side in the garage since the year 2, the year he started in 000cc.
Many people work around the pilot
It is especially MotoGP riders who have the luxury of asking to be surrounded by people they know well and whom they trust, often moving their mechanics from one team to another.
The situation is different in Moto2 and Moto3. In most teams, mechanics wear the same colors for very few seasons.
The role of the mechanic, in addition to working on competition machines, and setting up and dismantling hospitality and boxes, loading and unloading trucks, cleaning them, etc.
Employees forced to follow their team all season
Salaries are announced gross, that is to say without taking into account charges. If you add to this the charges, social security (deducted from the salary in France but not in all countries), income taxes, and the time spent away from home, life in the paddocks is not as enviable as one can imagine.
To summarize, in net salary before taxes, this would give:
– Team leader: Between €30 and €000, or between €100 and €000 per month
– Data engineer: Between €27 and €000, or between €62 and €000 per month
– Mechanic: Between €20 and €000, or between €54 and €000 per month
There are obviously many other professionals who make up the paddock and compiling an income list for each of them is no easy task. But we can undoubtedly say that from press officers to reception managers, income is often less than €30 per year gross (i.e. €000 net monthly).
A MotoGP team is made up of many people
These people make us dream, when we watch the races while slumped on our sofas: traveling, visiting the world, rubbing shoulders with our favorite drivers, it's a life of luxury! The reality is very different from what everyone dreams of, especially for young professionals looking to gain a foothold in the paddock.
Hotels are not the same as the luxurious resorts where MotoGP riders sleep and flights are often economy class, with long waits at airports dotted around the world. There are no days off to visit these places, so the reality is that traveling for race weekend turns the saying subway/work/sleep into airport/hotel/track/hotel/airport.
It's certainly a life full of adventure, made for those who are willing to sacrifice a lot while waiting to win a prize, perhaps in the form of a contract for a factory team in MotoGP, which may not come soon. - never even be. Remember, the grass is always greener on the other side!
sources: GP One – Personal sources
