The Formula 1 It is an exciting sport, in which everything can change in a matter of thousandths, which also attracts millions of fans around the world. However, it is also a business for teams, brands, sponsors… and pilots. They are not just competing for prestige, fame and victory; It is also a job, reserved for a privileged few, who are also among the highest paid athletes in the world.
And, how could it be otherwise, the best paid of all of them is the two-time champion and current king of motorsport: max verstappen. The Dutchman, flagship of Red Bull, perceives a whopping amount of 55 million dollars per season. It hasn’t always been this way, but its recent renewal with the Austrian team until 2028 It has served to overcome lewis hamilton as the highest paid driver on the grid.
The seven-time world champion has been ousted this year by Verstappen, but he had more than five years being the most valued and the best paid of the twenty pilots. He currently earns about 35 million dollars per seasonexorbitant figures for any mortal who is not a living legend of Formula 1 and who does not drive for the Mercedes team.
The podium is closed by the Monegasque pilot charles leclerc, Ferrari standard bearer despite the fact that from the team itself they assure that they have no preference for any driver. However, Leclerc earns twice as much as his partner, Carlos Sainz. one perceives 24 million dollarswhile the Spanish remains at 12 ‘kilos’ by season. Even so, they continue to be on a par with the best athletes in the world, in sports such as soccer, basketball or the American leagues.
The other two ‘second drivers’ of the leading teams, George Russell and Sergio PerezThey are not even close to the salary of their comrades either. English barely perceives 8 million a year to run for Mercedes, and the Mexican is very close to the same figures as Sainz, with 10 million. An outrage for anyone, but quite little for both drivers if we take into account that Russell won Hamilton last year, and that Verstappen owes his first World Cup to ‘Czech’.
Also striking, perhaps more due to age than real cachet, is the absence of Fernando Alonso among the top positions. Ahead of him still has a surprising Lando Norris, who adds 20 million dollars to your private account each year with McLaren, where they consider him their ‘spoiled child’; already the heads of Alfa Romeo and Alpine. Valtteri Bottas earns the same as Pérez, 10 millionand Esteban Oconhis ex-partner in the French team, charges 6 millions of dollars.
Instead, Fernando Alonso receives 5 million after signing for Aston Martin. A not inconsiderable figure, but far removed from the motoring elite to which he will always belong due to his condition as a two-time F1 world champion driver. Pierre Gasleyhis replacement at Alpine, and Kevin MagnussenHaas driver, perceive also those 5 million dollars per season on their respective teams. Even so, Alonso continues to be the second highest paid driver in history (Lewis Hamilton: 575 million euros; Fernando Alonso: 442; Michael Schumacher: 413).
From here, the differences between the rest of the grid are much less accentuated. On the step of the 3 millions he is alone Alex Albon of Williamswhich they follow with 2 million Of salary Lance StrollAlonso’s teammate at Aston Martin and son of the owner of the team; nick de vries (Alpha Tauri); guanyu zhou (Alfa Romeo); Nico Hulkenberg (Haas) and Oscar Piastri (McLaren).
Lastly, barely earning one million dollarsthey find each other Yuki Tsunoda, from Alpha Tauri, and Logan Sargeant, the newcomer to Williams. As can be seen, the best teams pay better than the more modest ones at the end of the grid, although the most exaggerated case is that of Alpha Tauri. It is understandable considering that it acts as a ‘subsidiary’ of Red Bull, but its pilots together add 3 million salaries, which Albon earns at Williams.
- 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull $55M
- 2 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes $35M
- 3 Charles Leclerc Ferrari $24M
- 4 Lando Norris McLaren $20M
- 5 Carlos Sainz Ferrari $12M
- 6 Checo Perez Red Bull $10M
- 7 Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo $10M
- 8 George Russell Mercedes $8M
- 9 Esteban Ocon Alpine $6M
- 10 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin $5M
- 11 Pierre Gasly Alpine $5M
- 12 Kevin Magnussen Haas $5M
- 13 Alex Albon Williams$3M
- 14 Lance Stroll Aston Martin $2M
- 15 Nico Hulkenberg Haas $2M
- 16 Nyck De Vries AlphaTauri $2M
- 17 Guanyu Zhou Alfa Romeo $2M
- 18 Oscar Piastri McLaren $2M
- 19 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri $1M
- 20 Logan Sergeant Williams $1M
