How much they are getting payed?

Michael Schumacher/Ferrari is rated to earn €52 million in 2006, which is €9,484 per race kilometer or @1,925 million per hour (assuming that each race lasts 1.5 hours). In other words, he is making @142,465 per day and could buy 200 of the new Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano.

Ralf Schumacher/Toyota is 2nd with €17 million followed by Kimi Räikkönen/McLaren and Juan Pablo Montoya/McLaren with €11 million each.

Rubens Barrichello/Honda dropped down from 3rd to 5th place with now $10 million, €2 million less than last year at Ferrari.

The other Toyota driver, Jarno Trulli ($8 million), is followed by World Champion Fernando Alonso/Renault, €6 million.

Nick Hedfeld/BMW now gets €5 million, €1.5 more than last year.

Newbie and last year´s GP2 champ Nico Rosberg only gets €1.5 million per year.

I'd wonder how accurate those figures are. Raikkonen for instance has been romoured to be on a lot more than that. No doubt the top drivers get paid absolutely ridiculous sums of money. I wonder if they are really worth it?

not all of what schumacher is making comes from ferrari, there are some sponsorship payments in there. but still that's an amazing sum of money for doing something you love to do, he wouldn't have to work a day in his life and could live in absolute comfort with mansions, cars, butlers, etc and have his kids do the same. wow.