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Formula One Salaries
The field leaves the grid at the start of the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku

F1 Driver Salaries: Ranked by Base Salary, Bonuses and Total Earnings

Formula One Salaries provides a full ranking of Formula 1 driver salaries for 2026, detailing base salaries, performance bonuses, total earnings, and team compensation structures for all drivers on the grid. Formula One Salaries offers data on how financial rewards are structured in Formula 1, including comparisons of contract values and net worth across different drivers.

  • 22 drivers
  • 11 teams
  • 4 seasons, 2023–2026
  • US$ · € · £
  • A source on every row

Last updated

F1 Driver Salary Table Ranked From Highest to Lowest Paid

The table below provides a full ranking of 2026 Formula 1 drivers, organized from the highest to the lowest base salary.

F1 Driver Salaries in US Dollars, Euros and Pounds

Shown in US dollars, the currency most salary reporting uses. Euro and pound figures are converted at the European Central Bank reference rate of 30 September 2026 (€1 = $1.1355 = £0.85463) — a translation of the estimate, not the currency the contract was signed in. Showing 22.

2026 Formula One driver salaries, ranked by base salary
# Driver Base salary Est. bonus Total earnings Contract to Details
1
Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing
$70m — $78m Forbes 2026 list 2030
2
Lewis Hamilton Ferrari
$60m — $70m Forbes 2026 list 2027
3
Charles Leclerc Ferrari
$34m — — 2028
3
George Russell Mercedes
$34m — — 2027
5
Lando Norris McLaren
$30m — $55m Forbes 2026 list 2030
6
Fernando Alonso Aston Martin
$20m — — 2027
7
Carlos Sainz Williams
$13m — — 2028
7
Oscar Piastri McLaren
$13m — — 2028
9
Pierre Gasly Alpine
$12m — — 2028
9
Alex Albon Williams
$12m — — 2027
9
Lance Stroll Aston Martin
$12m — — 2027
12
Sergio Pérez Cadillac Out of F1 in 2025
$8m — — 2027
13
Nico Hülkenberg Audi
$7m — — 2027
13
Esteban Ocon Haas
$7m — — 2026
15
Isack Hadjar Red Bull Racing Missed rounds 12–14 with a wrist injury
$5m — — 2027
15
Valtteri Bottas Cadillac Out of F1 in 2025
$5m — — 2027
17
Gabriel Bortoleto Audi
$2m — — 2027
17
Kimi Antonelli Mercedes
$2m — — 2027
19
Oliver Bearman Haas
$1m — — 2026
19
Liam Lawson Racing Bulls Drove for Red Bull Racing in rounds 12–14
$1m — — 2026
21
Franco Colapinto Alpine
$500k–$1m — — 2027
21
Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls The only rookie on the 2026 grid
$500k–$1m — — 2026
Photo and logo credits

Openly licensed via Wikimedia Commons; a driver shown with initials has no portrait yet.

Trademarks of their owners, shown only to identify each team.

Highest-Paid F1 Drivers in 2026

Below is a list of the highest-paid F1 drivers in 2026, showcasing their impressive earnings and financial standings within the sport.

  1. Highest paid
    Max Verstappen in Red Bull team kit at the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix

    Max Verstappen

    Red Bull Racing

    $70m

    base salary

    Total
    $78m
    Contract to
    2030
  2. Lewis Hamilton photographed at 10 Downing Street in 2025

    Lewis Hamilton

    Ferrari

    $60m

    base salary

    Total
    $70m
    Contract to
    2027
  3. Charles Leclerc at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival

    Charles Leclerc

    Ferrari

    $34m

    base salary

    Total
    —
    Contract to
    2028

Lowest-Paid F1 Drivers in 2026

The lowest-paid Formula 1 drivers in 2026 are listed below, highlighting those earning the least on the grid. Gabriel Bortoleto and Kimi Antonelli share the fifth-lowest figure, so six drivers are listed. One of them, Kimi Antonelli, leads the championship after round 15.

  1. Pierre Gasly’s Alpine in qualifying for the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix Alpine

    Franco Colapinto

    $500k–$1m

    base salary

    Extension for 2027 (Aug 2026) · to 2027

  2. Liam Lawson’s Racing Bulls car in qualifying for the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix Racing Bulls

    Arvid Lindblad

    $500k–$1m

    base salary

    Rookie contract from the Red Bull junior programme · to 2026

  3. Esteban Ocon’s Haas in qualifying for the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix Haas

    Oliver Bearman

    $1m

    base salary

    On loan from Ferrari on a two-plus-one deal; Haas has not yet taken up its option for 2027 · to 2026

  4. Liam Lawson’s Racing Bulls car in qualifying for the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix Racing Bulls

    Liam Lawson

    $1m

    base salary

    One-year contract · to 2026

  5. Nico Hülkenberg’s Audi in qualifying for the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix Audi

    Gabriel Bortoleto

    $2m

    base salary

    Already under contract; Audi confirmed its 2027 line-up (Sept 2026) · to 2027

  6. George Russell’s Mercedes in qualifying for the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix Mercedes

    Kimi Antonelli

    $2m

    base salary

    Long-term deal · to 2027

Pay Gap Between the Highest- and Lowest-Paid F1 Drivers in 2026

The pay gap between the highest and lowest-paid Formula 1 drivers in 2026 is substantial. Max Verstappen, the highest-paid driver, receives a base salary of $70 million, while the lowest-paid drivers, Arvid Lindblad and Franco Colapinto, earn between $500,000 and $1 million. This creates a salary gap ranging from $69 million to $69.5 million, depending on the lower end of the scale, translating to Verstappen earning about 70 to 140 times more than the lowest earners.

Several factors contribute to this disparity. Experience and championship success influence salary levels to a high degree, with top drivers commanding substantial salaries due to their proven track records. The financial capacity of teams such as Red Bull and Ferrari allows them to offer lucrative contracts. Marketability and sponsorship potential further widen the earnings gap, as drivers with high public profiles and endorsement deals tend to secure higher salaries. The combination of these factors produces a pronounced pay gap within the F1 driver salary structure.

Lowest paid

Franco ColapintoArvid Lindblad

Colapinto · Lindblad

AlpineRacing Bulls

$500k–$1m

70×–140×

gap of $69m–$69.5m

Highest paid

Max Verstappen

Verstappen

Red Bull Racing

$70m

F1 Driver Salaries by Team in 2026

F1 driver salaries in 2026 vary across teams, reflecting differences in budget, driver experience, and team strategy. Below are the F1 driver salaries organized by team for the 2026 season.

2026 team driver spend, both race drivers combined, ranked
Spend Rank Team Combined Show this team’s detail
1 Ferrari Hamilton $60m · Leclerc $34m $94m
2 Red Bull Racing Verstappen $70m · Hadjar $5m $75m
3 McLaren Norris $30m · Piastri $13m $43m
4 Mercedes Russell $34m · Antonelli $2m $36m
5 Aston Martin Alonso $20m · Stroll $12m $32m
6 Williams Sainz $13m · Albon $12m $25m
7 Cadillac Pérez $8m · Bottas $5m $13m
8 Alpine Gasly $12m · Colapinto $500k–$1m $12.5m–$13m
9 Audi (formerly Sauber) Hülkenberg $7m · Bortoleto $2m $9m
10 Haas Ocon $7m · Bearman $1m $8m
11 Racing Bulls Lawson $1m · Lindblad $500k–$1m $1.5m–$2m

Base salaries; ranges are summed at both ends and ranked at the midpoint. Select a team’s row to see how its pair splits the money.

Red Bull Racing Driver Salaries 2026

Red Bull Racing spends $75m on its two drivers, 2nd of 11 teams in the table above. Max Verstappen is paid $70m and Isack Hadjar $5m, so the better-paid driver takes 93% of the pair’s pay, 14× the teammate’s.

Verstappen is signed to 2030 — two-year extension on top of his existing deal (Aug 2026). Hadjar is signed to 2027 — extended contract (Sept 2026). Liam Lawson drove the second car for three rounds while Hadjar recovered from a wrist injury.

Max Verstappen’s Red Bull in qualifying for the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix

Combined pay of both drivers

$75m

Rank 2 of 11 teams

  • Max Verstappen $70m · 93%
  • Isack Hadjar $5m · 7%

Salary profiles link here as they are published.

Ferrari Driver Salaries 2026

Ferrari spends $94m on its two drivers, the most of any team in the table above. Lewis Hamilton is paid $60m and Charles Leclerc $34m, so the better-paid driver takes 64% of the pair’s pay, 1.8× the teammate’s.

Hamilton is signed to 2027 — multi-year deal; a 2028 option is reported. Leclerc is signed to 2028 — new deal signed June 2026; length not disclosed. That new deal is reported to be worth up to €50m a year — above the figure in the table, which predates it.

Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari in qualifying for the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix

Combined pay of both drivers

$94m

Rank 1 of 11 teams

  • Lewis Hamilton $60m · 64%
  • Charles Leclerc $34m · 36%

Salary profiles link here as they are published.

McLaren Driver Salaries 2026

McLaren spends $43m on its two drivers, 3rd of 11 teams in the table above. Lando Norris is paid $30m and Oscar Piastri $13m, so the better-paid driver takes 70% of the pair’s pay, 2.3× the teammate’s.

Norris is signed to 2030 — extension to 2030 with a multi-year option (Aug 2026). Piastri is signed to 2028 — multi-year extension (March 2025).

Lando Norris’s McLaren in qualifying for the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix

Combined pay of both drivers

$43m

Rank 3 of 11 teams

Mercedes Driver Salaries 2026

Mercedes spends $36m on its two drivers, 4th of 11 teams in the table above. George Russell is paid $34m and Kimi Antonelli $2m, so the better-paid driver takes 94% of the pair’s pay, 17× the teammate’s.

Russell is signed to 2027 — Mercedes exercised its option for 2027. Antonelli is signed to 2027 — long-term deal.

George Russell’s Mercedes in qualifying for the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix

Combined pay of both drivers

$36m

Rank 4 of 11 teams

Salary profiles link here as they are published.

Aston Martin Driver Salaries 2026

Aston Martin spends $32m on its two drivers, 5th of 11 teams in the table above. Fernando Alonso is paid $20m and Lance Stroll $12m, so the better-paid driver takes 63% of the pair’s pay, 1.7× the teammate’s.

Alonso is signed to 2027 — long-term contract extended (Sept 2026); the team gave no end year. Stroll is signed to 2027 — long-term contract extended (Sept 2026); the team gave no end year. Stroll’s is the one salary on the grid that has appeared in company accounts: Aston Martin’s filings show $12.3m paid for his services in 2024.

Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin in qualifying for the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix

Combined pay of both drivers

$32m

Rank 5 of 11 teams

  • Fernando Alonso $20m · 63%
  • Lance Stroll $12m · 38%

Salary profiles link here as they are published.

Williams Driver Salaries 2026

Williams spends $25m on its two drivers, 6th of 11 teams in the table above. Carlos Sainz is paid $13m and Alex Albon $12m, the closest split of any pairing on the grid.

Sainz is signed to 2028 — new multi-year deal (Aug 2026). Albon is signed to 2027 — one-year extension (Aug 2026).

Carlos Sainz’s Williams in first practice for the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix

Combined pay of both drivers

$25m

Rank 6 of 11 teams

  • Carlos Sainz $13m · 52%
  • Alex Albon $12m · 48%

Salary profiles link here as they are published.

Alpine Driver Salaries 2026

Alpine spends $12.5m–$13m on its two drivers, 8th of 11 teams in the table above. Pierre Gasly is paid $12m and Franco Colapinto $500k–$1m, so the better-paid driver takes 94% of the pair’s pay, 16× the teammate’s.

Gasly is signed to 2028 — long-term extension (Sept 2025). Colapinto is signed to 2027 — extension for 2027 (Aug 2026).

Pierre Gasly’s Alpine in qualifying for the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix

Combined pay of both drivers

$12.5m–$13m

Rank 8 of 11 teams

  • Pierre Gasly $12m · 94%
  • Franco Colapinto $500k–$1m · 6%

Salary profiles link here as they are published.

Racing Bulls Driver Salaries 2026

Racing Bulls spends $1.5m–$2m on its two drivers, the least of any team in the table above. Liam Lawson is paid $1m and Arvid Lindblad $500k–$1m, so the better-paid driver takes 57% of the pair’s pay, 1.3× the teammate’s.

Lawson is signed to 2026 — one-year contract. Lindblad is signed to 2026 — rookie contract from the Red Bull junior programme. Both are Red Bull juniors on the programme’s usual short terms.

Liam Lawson’s Racing Bulls car in qualifying for the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix

Combined pay of both drivers

$1.5m–$2m

Rank 11 of 11 teams

  • Liam Lawson $1m · 57%
  • Arvid Lindblad $500k–$1m · 43%

Salary profiles link here as they are published.

Haas Driver Salaries 2026

Haas spends $8m on its two drivers, 10th of 11 teams in the table above. Esteban Ocon is paid $7m and Oliver Bearman $1m, so the better-paid driver takes 88% of the pair’s pay, 7× the teammate’s.

Ocon is signed to 2026 — multi-year from 2025; leaving Haas at the end of 2026 (announced Sept 2026). Bearman is signed to 2026 — on loan from Ferrari on a two-plus-one deal; Haas has not yet taken up its option for 2027.

Esteban Ocon’s Haas in qualifying for the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix

Combined pay of both drivers

$8m

Rank 10 of 11 teams

  • Esteban Ocon $7m · 88%
  • Oliver Bearman $1m · 13%

Salary profiles link here as they are published.

Audi Driver Salaries 2026

Audi spends $9m on its two drivers, 9th of 11 teams in the table above. Nico Hülkenberg is paid $7m and Gabriel Bortoleto $2m, so the better-paid driver takes 78% of the pair’s pay, 3.5× the teammate’s.

Hülkenberg is signed to 2027 — already under contract; Audi confirmed its 2027 line-up (Sept 2026). Bortoleto is signed to 2027 — already under contract; Audi confirmed its 2027 line-up (Sept 2026). 2026 is the team’s first season under the Audi name, after racing as Sauber.

Nico Hülkenberg’s Audi in qualifying for the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix

Combined pay of both drivers

$9m

Rank 9 of 11 teams

  • Nico Hülkenberg $7m · 78%
  • Gabriel Bortoleto $2m · 22%

Salary profiles link here as they are published.

Cadillac Driver Salaries 2026

Cadillac spends $13m on its two drivers, 7th of 11 teams in the table above. Sergio Pérez is paid $8m and Valtteri Bottas $5m, so the better-paid driver takes 62% of the pair’s pay, 1.6× the teammate’s.

Pérez is signed to 2027 — multi-year deal with the new Cadillac team. Bottas is signed to 2027 — multi-year deal with the new Cadillac team. Cadillac is the grid’s new eleventh team, and both its drivers returned after a season out of Formula 1.

Sergio Pérez’s Cadillac in first practice for the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix

Combined pay of both drivers

$13m

Rank 7 of 11 teams

  • Sergio Pérez $8m · 62%
  • Valtteri Bottas $5m · 38%

Salary profiles link here as they are published.

How an F1 Driver’s Total Earnings Build Up From Base Salary, Bonuses and Personal Sponsors

Three layers: what the team guarantees, what results add, and what brands pay the driver directly.

Where three drivers’ money comes from Salary + bonuses Sponsors
  • Hamilton $100m
  • Verstappen $86m
  • Norris $60m

Twelve months to May 2026.

  1. Step 1: Base Salary Paid Under the Team Contract

    The fixed annual fee in the contract, owed whatever happens on track.

    $70m $500k–$1mtop to bottom of the 2026 grid

  2. Step 2: Performance Bonuses Triggered by Race Results

    Contract clauses turn results into extra pay, in three types.

    Points · Wins · Titles

    Per-Point Bonuses in F1 Driver Contracts

    $10k to €50k

    Midfield rate today; Räikkönen at Lotus, 2012–13

    Trigger
    Each championship point
    Unit
    Per point

    Race Win Bonuses in F1 Driver Contracts

    About $250k

    At a midfield points rate; front-runners’ fees are unpublished

    Trigger
    Winning a Grand Prix
    Unit
    Per win

    World Championship Title Bonuses in F1 Driver Contracts

    $5m to $10m

    Verstappen 2021 to Norris 2025

    Trigger
    Winning the drivers’ title
    Unit
    Per title
  3. Step 3: Personal Sponsorship Income on Top of Team Pay

    Endorsements and image rights, paid to the driver by brands, not the team.

    $30mHamilton, off track

  4. Step 4: Total Earnings Compared With the Reported Base Salary

    Add all three and the total runs well past the quoted base.

    2×Norris: total ÷ base

The multiple sets RacingNews365’s 2026 base against Forbes’ twelve-month total — two sources, two periods — so it is a guide, not a sum.

F1 Driver Earnings per Race and per Point in 2026

Each driver’s 2026 base salary divided two ways: by the 23 Grands Prix on the calendar, and by the championship points scored so far. Points are dated after round 15, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix (26 September 2026), from the official standings.

2026 salary per Grand Prix and per championship point, all 22 drivers
Driver 2026 base salary Per Grand Prix Points to date Per point
Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing $70m $3m 163 $429k
Lewis Hamilton Ferrari $60m $2.6m 199 $302k
Charles Leclerc Ferrari $34m $1.5m 179 $190k
George Russell Mercedes $34m $1.5m 236 $144k
Lando Norris McLaren $30m $1.3m 186 $161k
Fernando Alonso Aston Martin $20m $870k 3 $6.7m
Carlos Sainz Williams $13m $565k 7 $1.9m
Oscar Piastri McLaren $13m $565k 120 $108k
Pierre Gasly Alpine $12m $522k 41 $293k
Alex Albon Williams $12m $522k 5 $2.4m
Lance Stroll Aston Martin $12m $522k 0 No points yet
Sergio Pérez Cadillac $8m $348k 0 No points yet
Nico Hülkenberg Audi $7m $304k 7 $1m
Esteban Ocon Haas $7m $304k 7 $1m
Isack Hadjar Red Bull Racing $5m $217k 86 $58k
Valtteri Bottas Cadillac $5m $217k 0 No points yet
Gabriel Bortoleto Audi $2m $87k 10 $200k
Kimi Antonelli Mercedes $2m $87k 302 $7k
Oliver Bearman Haas $1m $43k 20 $50k
Liam Lawson Racing Bulls $1m $43k 59 $17k
Franco Colapinto Alpine $500k–$1m $22k–$43k 27 $19k–$37k
Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls $500k–$1m $22k–$43k 37 $14k–$27k

Points after round 15, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix (26 September 2026). Base salary only; bonuses are not included.

Salary per Grand Prix of the 2026 Season

Max Verstappen · per Grand Prix

$3m

2026 base salary ÷ 23 Grands Prix

Salary per Championship Point Scored in 2026

Max Verstappen · per championship point

$429k

2026 base salary ÷ 163 points, live from the season standings

Cars accelerate away from the start line at the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix

News & updates

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What Determines an F1 Driver’s Salary

Four things set what a team pays. Pick one to see it at work.

  1. 1 World championship titles Raise a driver’s price at the next negotiation — the single biggest lever.
  2. 2 Market value Rival offers and commercial pull set the going rate; one bidder means a lower one.
  3. 3 Pay-driver sponsorship funding Money a driver brings can shrink the salary, or replace it altogether.
  4. 4 Team budget Richer teams pay more, and the cost cap leaves driver pay free to grow.

$20m $30m

Norris, before and after the 2025 title

World Championship Titles and F1 Driver Salary

A title resets a driver’s price at the next negotiation. After his first, in 2021, Verstappen signed a new Red Bull deal reported at £40m a year; Norris’s estimate rose after his 2025 championship and he signed on to 2030.

$45m $60m

Hamilton, Mercedes 2024 to Ferrari

Market Value and F1 Driver Salary

Salaries are priced against the next-best offer, so demand matters more than lap time. Hamilton’s move to Ferrari lifted his estimate, and his own sponsorship is the largest Forbes ranks, at $30m.

$13m

A sponsor’s fee to Haas for one driver’s 2022 seat

Pay-Driver Sponsorship Funding and F1 Driver Salary

Money a driver brings can shrink or replace a salary. Uralkali paid Haas that fee for Mazepin’s 2022 season; Aston Martin’s accounts show $12.3m paid for Stroll’s services in 2024.

FerrariRacing Bulls

$94m vs $1.5m–$2m

Driver spend: Ferrari and Racing Bulls

Team Budget and F1 Driver Salary

A team’s revenue and priorities set its ceiling. Ferrari’s driver spend is 44% of the $215m cost cap, and driver pay sits outside that cap, so a rich team’s money flows to its drivers.

How Reserve Driver Pay Compares With 2026 Race-Driver Salaries

A reserve earns less than the cheapest race seat, by an amount no recognised publication has put a number on. The race grid’s floor is known; the reserve side is not.

Race-seat floor
$500k–$1m
Reserve pay
Not published
Reserves named
14
Each team’s 2026 race-seat pay against its reserve and test drivers
Team Race seats · base pay Reserve & test drivers Reserve pay
Ferrari $94m
  • Antonio Giovinazzi
Not published
Red Bull Racing $75m
  • Yuki Tsunoda
Not published
McLaren $43m
  • Leonardo Fornaroli
  • Pato O'Ward
Not published
Mercedes $36m
  • Fred Vesti
Not published
Aston Martin $32m
  • Jak Crawford
  • Stoffel Vandoorne
Not published
Williams $25m
  • Luke Browning
Not published
Cadillac $13m
  • Zhou Guanyu
Not published
Alpine $12.5m–$13m
  • Paul Aron
  • Kush Maini
Not published
Audi $9m Not yet named Not published
Haas $8m
  • Jack Doohan
  • Ryo Hirakawa
Not published
Racing Bulls $1.5m–$2m
  • Yuki Tsunoda
  • Ayumu Iwasa
Not published

Biggest F1 Driver Salary Changes From 2025 to 2026

9 of the 18 drivers who raced both seasons are paid more, and none are paid less — on RacingNews365’s estimates for both years.

Biggest rise
+$19m
George Russell
Paid more
9 of 18
drivers on both grids
Left the grid
2
Tsunoda · Doohan
Base salary change from 2025 to 2026, drivers whose figure moved
Driver 2025 2026 Change %
George Russell Mercedes $15m $34m ▲ +$19m +127%
Lando Norris McLaren $20m $30m ▲ +$10m +50%
Lance Stroll Aston Martin $3m $12m ▲ +$9m +300%
Oscar Piastri McLaren $6m $13m ▲ +$7m +117%
Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing $65m $70m ▲ +$5m +8%
Isack Hadjar Red Bull Racing $500k–$1m $5m ▲ +$4m to +$4.5m +400% to +900%
Alex Albon Williams $8m $12m ▲ +$4m +50%
Carlos Sainz Williams $10m $13m ▲ +$3m +30%
Pierre Gasly Alpine $10m $12m ▲ +$2m +20%

No change: Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, Fernando Alonso, Nico Hülkenberg, Esteban Ocon, Gabriel Bortoleto, Kimi Antonelli, Oliver Bearman and Liam Lawson. Stroll’s jump is probably the estimate catching up with Aston Martin’s filed accounts, which showed $12.3m for 2024.

Largest F1 Driver Salary Increases for 2026

  1. George Russell Mercedes

    $15m $34m

    Re-signed for 2026 after his previous Mercedes contract ran out at the end of 2025.

    +$19m

    ▲ +127%

  2. Lando Norris McLaren

    $20m $30m

    Won the 2025 world championship.

    +$10m

    ▲ +50%

  3. Lance Stroll Aston Martin

    $3m $12m

    A revision more than a raise: Aston Martin’s filed accounts show about $12m a year paid for his services in 2024 and 2025, against the earlier $3m estimate.

    +$9m

    ▲ +300%

  4. Oscar Piastri McLaren

    $6m $13m

    Contract extension signed in March 2025, running to 2028.

    +$7m

    ▲ +117%

  5. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing

    $65m $70m

    Estimate up from $65m; his extension to 2030 was signed in August 2026.

    +$5m

    ▲ +8%

Largest F1 Driver Salary Decreases for 2026

No driver on both grids took a cut. The falls are drivers who lost a seat or came back on less.

  1. Sergio Pérez Cadillac

    $14m in 2024, his last race season → $8m

    −$6m

    ▼ −43%

  2. Valtteri Bottas Cadillac

    $10m in 2024, his last race season → $5m

    −$5m

    ▼ −50%

  3. Yuki Tsunoda

    $2m in 2025 → reserve at Red Bull Racing, pay not published

    ▼ lost seat

  4. Jack Doohan

    $500k–$1m in 2025 → reserve at Haas, pay not published

    ▼ lost seat

How a Contract Extension Changes an F1 Driver’s Salary

Before

$34m

After

up to €50m

Charles Leclerc’s new Ferrari deal, June 2026: about $57m a year reported, length not disclosed. Russell’s re-signing lifted his estimate from $15m to $34m, and Norris’s runs to 2030 after his title.

F1 Driver Salaries in Previous Seasons

The grid’s base pay has risen every year since 2023, on RacingNews365’s estimates.

Combined base pay of the grid 2026 counts 22 salaries against 20
  • 2023 $210m
  • 2024 $268m
  • 2025 $274.5m
  • 2026 $349.5m

Bars and bold figures: the grid’s total base pay; right: each season’s top earner.

  • 2025 season archive

    F1 Driver Salaries 2025

    $274.5m across 20 base salaries

    1. 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing $65m
    2. 2 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari $60m
    3. 3 Charles Leclerc Ferrari $34m
    4. 4 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin $20m
    5. 5 Lando Norris McLaren $20m
  • 2024 season archive

    F1 Driver Salaries 2024

    $268m across 20 base salaries

    1. 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing $55m
    2. 2 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes $45m
    3. 3 Charles Leclerc Ferrari $34m
    4. 4 Lando Norris McLaren $20m
    5. 5 George Russell Mercedes $18m
  • 2023 season archive

    F1 Driver Salaries 2023

    $210m across 20 base salaries

    1. 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing $55m
    2. 2 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes $35m
    3. 3 Charles Leclerc Ferrari $24m
    4. 4 Lando Norris McLaren $20m
    5. 5 Carlos Sainz Ferrari $12m
Michael Schumacher, peak year
$80m
Forbes, during his Ferrari titles
Career earnings, unadjusted
$880m vs $815m
Hamilton vs Schumacher, Sportico

F1 Driver Salary FAQs

Short answers to the questions asked most, each figure taken from the tables and sources above.

Who Is the Highest-Paid F1 Driver in 2026?

Max Verstappen is the highest-paid F1 driver in 2026, on an estimated base salary of $70m (US dollars) at Red Bull Racing. Lewis Hamilton is second on $60m at Ferrari, matching the ranking table above.

Who Is the Lowest-Paid F1 Driver in 2026?

Franco Colapinto (Alpine) and Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) share the lowest 2026 base salary, estimated at $500k–$1m (US dollars). Arvid Lindblad is also the only rookie on the grid.

How Much Does an F1 Driver Earn per Year on Average?

The average 2026 F1 driver base salary is $15.9m (US dollars), the mean of the 22 estimated figures in the table above. The median is $10m: a handful of very large contracts pull the average well above what a typical seat pays.

Who Pays an F1 Driver’s Salary, the Team or Formula 1?

The team. A driver signs with the team they race for, and the team pays the salary and any bonuses in that contract; Formula 1 pays prize money to teams, not to drivers. Personal sponsors pay the driver directly, outside the team.

Do F1 Driver Salaries Count Toward the Cost Cap?

No. Race drivers' pay is excluded from the cost cap by Article D5.1.1(b) of the FIA Financial Regulations, together with their travel and accommodation. The cap on everything else is $215m for 2026, for a season of up to 24 races.

How Long Does an F1 Driver’s Contract Run?

Most F1 driver contracts run from one to four years. Red Bull’s young drivers usually sign one-year deals, while established drivers sign multi-year contracts — Lando Norris’s latest runs to 2030. Many include option years and performance clauses; as George Russell put it, “even if metrics aren't hit, if things are happy then you continue”.

How Much Do F1 Reserve Drivers Earn?

No recognised publication has published what an F1 reserve driver is paid, so there is no sourced figure to quote. What is known is the ceiling: a reserve earns less than the cheapest race seat, which in 2026 is $500k–$1m, and reserve pay sits outside the cost cap just as race drivers' pay does.