WDC from wealthy background

[PlatinumZealot]

Wasn't Kimi's family rich farmers?
What about Button and Alonso?

[Nando]

Fernando Alonso was born in Oviedo, Asturias in northern Spain. His mother worked in a department store and his father was employed as a mechanic in an explosives factory near Oviedo.

Sounds like similar upbringing like Hamilton. Not from a wealthy background.

Kimi´s father was a road builder, again according to Wiki.

And for Vettel/Schumi

Vettel grew up in a small town with an everyday background—Schumacher's father a bricklayer and Vettel's a carpenter.

[Absolutelee]

I'm almost positive Lauda was a pay driver for a while.

[Nando]

I'm almost positive Lauda was a pay driver for a while.

You mean a company paying a team to let the driver drive for them?

Even Schumacher was a pay driver then. And Hamilton Vettel, just that their sponsors owned F1 teams.

[Absolutelee]

According to wikipdia Lauda took a bank loan and bought his way into the March F2 team. He did well and was promoted to the March F1 team. They did terribly and Lauda took another loan to pay to drive for BRM.

[lebesset]

button's dad had a small village car repair business

doesn't massa come from a wealthy family?

[WhiteBlue]

Michael and Ralf Schumacher and Vettel all come from a relatively poor family. They made it on talent proven in carting alone and never had dad in a position to spend half a million bucks to get the son a drive in a race car. Mansell was another one who of those. AFAIK Frenzen, Hülkenberg, Glock and Sutil are all not from well off families.