F1 Driver Salaries in 2026
The F1 financial database for driver salaries, bonuses, contracts, net worth, and more
Last Updated: 11 October 2026
In 2026, F1 drivers earn between $500k and $70m in base salary alone. Once performance bonuses are added, potential income ranges from about $1m to $90m.
Rookies are paid $1-2m, experienced race winners earn $10-20m, and elite F1 driver salaries start at $30m before adding lucrative bonuses.
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22 Drivers
| # | Details | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |   | | 33 | 2025 | $11m | 2026 | $70m7.7% | $90m18.4% | 28 | 221 | $317k | $335m | |
Max Verstappen Salary
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| 2 |   | | 15 | 2025 | $500k | 2026 | $60m0.0% | $70m15.7% | 41 | 229 | $262k | $120m | |
Lewis Hamilton Salary
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| 3 |  | | 24 | 2025 | $0 | 2026 | $34m13.3% | $46m53.3% | 28 | 215 | $158k | $64m | |
Charles Leclerc Salary
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| 4 |   | | 2 | 2025 | $11m | 2026 | $34m126.7% | $50m92.3% | 28 | 238 | $143k | $34m | |
George Russell Salary
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| 5 |   | | 13 | 2025 | $39.5m | 2026 | $30m66.7% | $69.5m20.9% | 26 | 201 | $149k | $60m | |
Lando Norris Salary
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| 6 |   | | 0 | 2025 | $2.5m | 2026 | $24m0.0% | $26.5m0.0% | 44 | 7 | $3.43m | $48m | |
Fernando Alonso Salary
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| 7 |   | | 0 | 2025 | , | 2026 | $18.2m82.0% | $29.6m196.0% | 30 | 41 | $444k | $54.7m | |
Pierre Gasly Salary
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| 8 |   Williams | Williams | 0 | 2025 | $3m | 2026 | $13m30.0% | $16m23.1% | 31 | 7 | $1.86m | $23m | |
Carlos Sainz Salary
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| 9 |  | | 10 | 2025 | $27.5m | 2026 | $13m30.0% | $40.5m8.0% | 24 | 138 | $94k | $28m | |
Oscar Piastri Salary
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| 10 |  Williams | Williams | 0 | 2025 | , | 2026 | $12m50.0% | $15m87.5% | 29 | 5 | $2.4m | $20m | |
Alex Albon Salary
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| 11 |  | | 0 | 2025 | $1.5m | 2026 | $12m0.0% | $13.5m0.0% | 27 | 0 | No Points | $24m | |
Lance Stroll Salary
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| 12 |   | | 0 | 2025 | , | 2026 | $10mN/A | $11.5mN/A | 36 | 0 | No Points | $20m | |
Sergio Pérez Salary
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| 13 |  | | 1 | 2025 | , | 2026 | $7.5m | $9.5m | 21 | 97 | $77k | $7.5m | |
Isack Hadjar Salary
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| 14 |   Haas | Haas | 0 | 2025 | , | 2026 | $7m0.0% | $9m28.6% | 29 | 7 | $1m | $14m | |
Esteban Ocon Salary
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| 15 |   | | 6 | 2025 | , | 2026 | $7m0.0% | $9.9m41.4% | 38 | 13 | $538k | $21m | |
Nico Hülkenberg Salary
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| 16 |  | | 0 | 2025 | , | 2026 | $5mN/A | $7mN/A | 36 | 0 | No Points | $10m | |
Valtteri Bottas Salary
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| 17 |  | | 20 | 2025 | $7.5m | 2026 | $3.4m0.0% | $15.4m41.3% | 19 | 340 | $10k | $10.2m | |
Kimi Antonelli Salary
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| 18 |  | | 0 | 2025 | , | 2026 | $2m0.0% | $3m50.0% | 21 | 10 | $200k | $8m | |
Gabriel Bortoleto Salary
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| 19 |   | | 10 | 2025 | , | 2026 | $1m0.0% | $2m100.0% | 24 | 75 | $13k | $1m | |
Liam Lawson Salary
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| 20 |  Haas | Haas | 3 | 2025 | , | 2026 | $1m0.0% | $1.5m50.0% | 20 | 23 | $43k | $2m | |
Oliver Bearman Salary
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| 21 |  | | 0 | N/A | N/A | 2026 | $500k-1m | $1m-1.5m | 18 | 38 | $20k | $500k-1m | |
Arvid Lindblad Salary
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| 22 |  | | 0 | 2025 | , | 2026 | $500k-1m | $1.5m-2m | 22 | 27 | $28k | $500k-1m | |
Franco Colapinto Salary
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How Much Do F1 Drivers Get Paid?
AVERAGE SALARY
$16.6m
MEDIAN SALARY
$11m
HIGHEST PAID
$70m
LOWEST PAID
$750k
Pay on the 2026 grid is heavily top-loaded, with most of the money going to a handful of drivers. A seat at a front-running team is potentially worth dozens of rookie contracts. Bonuses for wins, podiums, and championship position can add a large share on top of base salary, and personal sponsorships aren't included in the team deal. You can line up any two drivers' pay, contracts, and results with our F1 driver comparison tool.
F1 Driver Market
Here’s where all 22 seats on the 2027 grid stand, from signed deals to the ones still open.
18 Confirmed2 Expected1 Open1 Leaving
Compare F1 Drivers
Pick any two drivers to see their salaries, contracts, results, and net worth side by side, with the biggest differences explained.
Who Are The Richest F1 Drivers?
Lewis Hamilton is the richest driver on the grid with a net worth of around $580m. Seven world titles, 12 seasons on huge Mercedes deals, and brands like +44 built his fortune. He's still adding to it with a $60m salary at Ferrari, the second highest on the grid.
Fernando Alonso sits second on $260m after two decades of top-level pay, and he still earns $24m a year at Aston Martin. Max Verstappen is third on $200m, and his $70m salary means he's closing the gap faster than anyone. His new Red Bull deal, reported at €92m ($104.9m) a year from 2027, will only speed that up.
Lando Norris on $80m and Charles Leclerc on $70m complete the top five. Both are still early in their careers, so we'd expect them to keep climbing, and both have already signed new deals that start in 2027.
Who Are The Lowest Paid F1 Drivers?
Arvid Lindblad and Franco Colapinto are the lowest paid drivers in 2026, each on between $500k and $1m. That's less than 2% of Max Verstappen's $70m salary, even though Lindblad has already scored 38 points in his rookie season.
Liam Lawson and Oliver Bearman earn around $1m each, and Gabriel Bortoleto earns $2m at Audi. All five came through junior programs, which keep early contracts low. Kimi Antonelli shows how quickly that can change, as he leads the championship on a $3.4m salary.
Points bonuses lift their pay, and one strong season can land any of them a far bigger deal. Alpine has already kept Colapinto for 2027, while Lawson, Lindblad, and Bearman are still waiting on next year's contracts, which you can follow on our F1 driver market page.
Which F1 Drivers Got The Biggest Pay Rises?
George Russell got the biggest pay rise on the 2026 grid. His base salary jumped from $15m to $34m, more than double what Mercedes paid him in 2025.
Lando Norris is next with a $12m rise to $30m, and Pierre Gasly climbs from $10m to $18.2m at Alpine. Isack Hadjar's move up to Red Bull took his base from $1m or less to $7.5m, the biggest jump in percentage terms.
Not everyone got a raise. Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, and Lance Stroll are on the same base as in 2025, and Kimi Antonelli's $3.4m hasn't moved since his rookie season, although his bonuses could lift him to $15.4m.
Total Grid Base Salary Over Time
Combined base salary of every race driver on the grid, season by season. F1 contracts are private, so these are reported estimates, and they leave out bonuses and personal sponsorship.
Next F1 Race
United States Grand Prix
Circuit of the Americas
October 23-25, 2026
13 days to go
Circuit Length
5.513km
Race Laps
56
Turns
20
Lap Record
1:36.169
Last F1 Race Result
Singapore Grand Prix
Marina Bay Street Circuit
2026 Singapore Grand Prix
1
Max Verstappen, Red Bull
2
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
3
Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Pole Position
Max Verstappen, Red Bull, 1:31.373
Fastest Lap
Charles Leclerc, 1:35.202
Winning Margin
7.335s
Finishers
18 of 22
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Insider · Issue 23
01 · The Last Race
Singapore by Salary
Pos
Driver
Pts
Salary
1
Max Verstappen
Red Bull
25
$70m
2
Charles Leclerc
Ferrari
18
$34m
3
Kimi Antonelli
Mercedes
15
$3.4m
4
Lando Norris
McLaren
12
$30m
5
Oscar Piastri
McLaren
10
$13m
6
Insider+
7
Insider+
Our Take · Insider+
What Each Point Now Costs Red Bull
Latest F1 Salary Articles
F1 Driver Salaries: FAQs
Max Verstappen is the highest paid driver on the 2026 grid, with a base salary of $70m and potential income of up to $90m once bonuses are included. His new Red Bull deal runs through 2030 and is reported at €92m ($104.9m) a year from 2027.
Most F1 drivers earn between $1m and $20m a year. The median base salary in 2026 is $11m, and 15 of the 22 drivers earn $13m or less. Seven earn more than $15m, led by Max Verstappen on $70m, while rookies such as Arvid Lindblad are on $500k to $1m.
Yes. Most contracts include bonuses for wins, podiums, and championship positions, which is why potential income can sit well above base salary. Charles Leclerc, for example, earns a $34m base with potential income of up to $46m. Bonuses are set out in each driver's private contract and are usually paid per point or per win.
Figures are gathered from published reports and updated through the season. Contracts are private, so most numbers are a best estimate built from that reporting. Each one carries a label showing whether it's verified, reported, estimated, or calculated, and our methodology page explains how every estimate is built.
Ferrari has the highest paid line-up, with Lewis Hamilton at $60m and Charles Leclerc at $34m for a combined $94m. Red Bull is next on $77.5m, largely thanks to Max Verstappen at $70m, and McLaren is third on $43m. Racing Bulls pays the least, at around $1.75m for both seats.