Motorsport’s governing body, the FIA, this week introduced the new prices for the Super Licence, upsetting several drivers, who feel the price increase is unfair.

You really have to hate professional sportsmen at times. It’s not enough that the majority of them are famous and have the privilege of being talented enough to earn millions a year in salary and lucrative sponsorship deals and generally have life easy compared to the average fan in the stands cheering them on.

Let’s take a look at the figures. Last year, a driver requiring a Super Licence had to pay 1,725 euros (£1,354) plus 456 euros (£357) per point won, but FIA president Max Mosley has increased it to 10,000 euros (£7,858) plus 2,000 euros (£1,570) for every point won. I agree that a 400 per-cent increase is maybe too high - but even for a modestly-paid F1 driver who might actually have to contribute to his Super Licence fee, it’s hardly going to break the bank. The fee is retrospective, so it will be interesting to see if the FIA try and force a retiring driver to pay for his points haul for the season before, as he jets off to his luxury home in one of Europe’s few tax-free havens.

So, for current F1 world champion, Kimi Raikkonen and last year’s runners-up Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, that’s around £180,000 this year just for their licence to race. When drivers are earning a reported £25m a year in the case of Ferrari's Raikkonen, and £10m a year for Lewis Hamilton at McLaren or Fernando Alonso at Renault, it’s not much of a problem. But the riches of the sport don’t extend down to the back of the grid where some drivers are averaging a few million a year or relying on their sponsors to get a drive in F1.

In a year where taxes are going up on just about everything, including the retail price of bread and fuel, the FIA have decided to get in on the act as well. Put simply, it’s a tax on winning - the better car you have and the more you win, the more you pay. I wonder if Mosley has been talking to Gordon Brown? At a time when Mosley’s position at FIA is continually under threat and his relation with the important players in F1 deteriorates, he’s not buying himself any favours here. The drivers are continually complaining that the FIA fails to listen to their recommendations on matters of rule changes and safety and has reportedly failed to meet them regarding the price increase.

The Grand Prix Drivers Association (GDPA) are looking at what options are open to them, with some suggesting they might even take industrial action, while all agree the price increase is unfair. It’s ludicrous to think that some of the drivers may strike at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone next month. It would lead to yet another farcical situation in F1, even if the teams could replace the drivers with test drivers and draft in other contracted drivers.