Source: MSN.co.uk.

The driver salaries for every competitor in F1 2009 have been published, containing a number of surprises - most notably the discrepancy in team-mate pay in some cases, and also the staggering gap between what the highest-paid driver receives and the pay packet of the next man on the list...

Ahead of the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this weekend around the all-new, spectacular Yas Marina street circuit, Arabian Business has revealed the salary list, which is perhaps unsurprisingly topped by former world champions Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari, 2007), Lewis Hamilton (McLaren-Mercedes, 2008 ) and Fernando Alonso (Renault, 2005/2006).

A quote taken from the Article "Whilst four drivers on the grid - Kazuki Nakajima (Williams), Romain Grosjean (Renault) and Adrian Sutil and Vitantonio Liuzzi (both Force India F1) - went unpaid"

1. Kimi Raikkonen $45m

2. Lewis Hamilton $18m

3. Fernando Alonso $15m

4. Nico Rosberg $8.5m

5. Felipe Massa $8m

6. Jarno Trulli $6.5m

7. Sebastian Vettel $6m

8. Mark Webber $5.5m

9. Jenson Button $5m

10. Robert Kubica $4.5m

11. Heikki Kovalainen $3.5m

12. Nick Heidfeld $2.8m

13. Timo Glock $2m

14. Giancarlo Fisichella $1.5m

15. Sébastien Buemi $1.5m

16. Rubens Barrichello $1m

17. Jaime Alguersuari $0.5m

18. Vitantonio Liuzzi $Nil

19. Adrian Sutil $Nil

20. Romain Grosjean $Nil

21. Kazuki Nakajima $Nil

What the F1 teams spent on drivers in 2009:

1. Ferrari $53m

2. McLaren-Mercedes $21.5m

3. Renault $15m

4. Red Bull Racing $11.5m

5. Toyota $8.5

6. Williams $8.5m

7. BMW-Sauber $7.3m

8. Brawn GP $6m

9. Scuderia Toro Rosso $2m

10. Force India $1.5m

John Legard stops trying to be Murray Walker

My Own View

Kimi and Mark's Incident = Perfectly legitimate, Webber is concentrating on overtaking into turn 4 and is not prepared to be overtook, it was just a lil bit too late

Jarno and Adrian's Incident = Perfectly legitimate. Sutil was on the racing line exiting turn 4 and had no right to allow Trulli back on to the track as he was half on the grass and did not even have half a car length on Sutil's car. Complete Racing incident

Lewis and Rubens' Incident = Perfectly legitimate. Lewis was pushing and just in the end got a great run out of Juncao and took the place, it was just close on how Ruben's defended his place, but Lewis pushed through and was sheer accident that it caused Ruben's a puncture. It did not cost Ruben's the title as at that point he was struggling and was not in a place to score enough points as it was.

Kobayashi and Nakajima's Incident = Unfair. Kobayashi as well he was doing just did not remember he was in Formula One at this point, and a quick Nakajima at the time was hoping to take the place, But with Kamui taking 2 chops at Kazuki instead of one which we all know is severely frowned upon, It begs the question why wasn't action taken on him for causing an unessacary racing incident. I hope Kamui learns from this.