How Much Do F1 Drivers Make in 2026?
Full Salary Grid Analysis
Formula 1 is the most expensive sport in the world to compete in — and its drivers are compensated accordingly. In 2026, the 22 drivers on the grid collectively earn an estimated $324 million in base salaries alone, a record high for the sport. At the top, Max Verstappen earns more per weekend than most athletes make in a career. At the bottom, rookies earn a fraction of that — but still command seven-figure contracts.
Here is the complete breakdown of every F1 driver's salary in 2026, how bonuses work, what drivers earn per race, and why the sport's cost cap has nothing to do with any of these numbers.
How Much Do F1 Drivers Make in 2026?
The average F1 driver salary in 2026 is approximately $14.7 million per year — but that number is heavily distorted by the top earners. A more accurate picture comes from the median salary, which sits around $8 million annually for mid-field drivers.
The range is staggering. Max Verstappen earns an estimated $70 million in base salary from Red Bull Racing, with total compensation including bonuses reaching approximately $76 million. At the other end, rookies Franco Colapinto and Arvid Lindblad earn between $500,000 and $1 million — still a remarkable sum, but a world away from the top tier.
The combined grid payroll of $324 million is the highest in F1 history, reflecting the sport's explosive commercial growth under Liberty Media.
The Highest-Paid F1 Drivers in 2026
Max Verstappen — $76M total
Verstappen leads the grid with an estimated base salary of $70 million. Despite losing the 2025 championship to Lando Norris, the four-time world champion remains the sport's highest-paid driver. His full financial profile is covered in our dedicated article on Max Verstappen's salary and net worth.
Lewis Hamilton — $70.5M total
Hamilton commands a $60 million base salary from Ferrari. Beyond racing, his total annual earnings reach approximately $100 million. Ferrari's duo of Hamilton and Leclerc is the most expensive in F1 history, costing $94 million in base pay.
Lando Norris — $57.5M total
The 2025 champion's success triggered $39.5 million in performance bonuses. Norris illustrates the modern contract: modest base pay ($18-30M) with massive championship upside.
Oscar Piastri — $37.5M total
Supplementary bonuses of $27.5 million linked to McLaren's Constructors' titles make up the majority of his earnings.
PaddockIntel covers Kimi Antonelli's $2M base + $12M bonus structure in detail — the most interesting rookie contract on the grid.
How Much Do F1 Drivers Make Per Race?
With 24 races on the 2026 calendar, per-event benchmarks reveal the true scale of compensation:
- Verstappen~$2.9M per weekend
- Hamilton~$2.5M per weekend
- Leclerc / Russell~$1.4M per weekend
- Rookies~$20K-40K per weekend
Typically, a top-three finish triggers a podium bonus in the range of $50,000 to $150,000 per result.
How F1 Driver Bonuses Work
Common triggers include race wins, podium finishes, championship position, and constructors' results. Lando Norris's 2025 season is the benchmark, with nearly $40M earned in results-based pay.
Teams structure contracts this way to reduce risk. For rookies like Kimi Antonelli, the potential is unlimited if they deliver, rewarding extraordinary performance without committed veteran-level guarantees.
F1 Driver Salaries vs Other Sports
- Top Tier: Verstappen ($76M) is comparable to Stephen Curry ($55.8M) and surpasses most NFL QB contracts.
- Team Pay: F1's top two earners alone ($146.5M) exceed the entire salary cap of an NBA team.
- Mid-field: Drivers earning $8-12M outearn the average Premier League footballer ($4-6M).
Unlike American sports, F1 has no salary cap for drivers, no luxury tax, and no minimum salary floor.
Why F1 Driver Salaries Are Exempt from the Cost Cap
Since 2021, Formula 1 operates under a Financial Regulations framework — commonly called the cost cap — that limits how much teams can spend on car development and operations. For 2026, that limit increased to $215 million, up from $135 million, reflecting accumulated inflation and the inclusion of previously exempted cost categories.
Driver salaries are explicitly excluded from this calculation. Teams can spend whatever they choose on driver compensation without it counting toward the cost cap. Ferrari spends $94 million on Hamilton and Leclerc's base salaries — on top of, not instead of, their full $215 million development budget. A team like Haas, paying Ocon and Bearman a combined $8 million, redirects those savings entirely into car development under the cap.
This creates a layered competitive dynamic: the richest teams can have both the highest-paid drivers and the most heavily developed cars. The cost cap constrains one lever, not both.
The Full 2026 F1 Driver Salary Grid
Source: RacingNews365, Spotrac, NBC Miami, DirecTV.
| Pos | Driver | Team | Base Salary | Est. Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | $70M | ~$76M |
| 2 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | $60M | ~$70.5M |
| 3 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | $34M | ~$34M |
| 4 | George Russell | Mercedes | $34M | ~$34-45M |
| 5 | Lando Norris | McLaren | $18-30M | ~$57.5M |
| 6 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | $20M | ~$20-26.5M |
| 7 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | $13M | ~$37.5M |
| 8 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | $13M | ~$13M |
| 9 | Alex Albon | Williams | $12M | ~$12M |
| 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | $12M | ~$12M |
| 11 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | $12M | ~$12-13.5M |
| 12 | Sergio Pérez | Cadillac | $8M | ~$8M |
| 13 | Nico Hülkenberg | Audi | $7M | ~$7M |
| 14 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | $7M | ~$7M |
| 15 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | $5M | ~$5M |
| 16 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | $5M | ~$5M |
| 17 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | $2M | ~$12.5M |
| 18 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | $2M | ~$2M |
| 19 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | $1M | ~$1M |
| 20 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | $1M | ~$1M |
| 21 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | $0.5-1M | ~$0.5-1M |
| 22 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | $0.5-1M | ~$0.5-1M |
