F1 leads the way as the highest-paying series in motorsport. Entering 2026, 20 of the 22 drivers command a salary of $1 million or higher. The gap at the top is staggering: Max Verstappen leads at $70 million annually, followed by Lewis Hamilton at $60 million.

At the bottom, rookies like Franco Colapinto and Arvid Lindblad earn between $500,000 and $1 million, a structure reflecting a global broadcast reach to 1.5 billion people.

NASCAR sits firmly between F1 and IndyCar commercially. Kyle Busch is the highest-paid driver at approximately $16.9 million annually, followed by Denny Hamlin at just over $13 million.

The NASCAR structure is unique: drivers earn a base salary plus a percentage of race purse winnings. This means a strong performance at the Daytona 500 can meaningfully move annual earnings. Kyle Larson currently sits as the 6th highest paid at $8 million.

IndyCar shows the most apparent salary gap. Colton Herta leads the grid at $7 million annually, but he is an outlier. Pato O'Ward earns $4 million, while legends like Scott Dixon sit between $3.5M and $4.5M.

The drop-off is sharp: top IndyCar drivers earn approximately 10% of their F1 counterparts. Many depend on strong Indianapolis 500 finishes to supplement base salaries, with some at the back earning less than $500,000.

The differential comes down to three factors: global audience size, broadcast revenue, and sponsorship density.

While F1 has a massive international footprint, IndyCar is currently rebuilding. A signal of confidence arrived in 2026 with FOX's acquisition of a one-third stake in Penske Entertainment, and a 45% increase in season-opening viewership at St. Petersburg.