George Russell’s salary in 2026 is a $34m base from Mercedes, level with Charles Leclerc for the third-highest pay in F1. It’s more than double the $15m he was paid in each of the previous two seasons.
Across 23 races that comes to about $1.48m a Grand Prix. His first Mercedes base in 2022 was just $3m, so the climb has been steep, and the 2027 option is expected to keep him on $34m.
Relays another outlet's claim of £30m ($40m) a year, a package figure that covers more than the $34m base.
Base Salary Earned in 2026$27.77m of $34m
82% of the way through 2026
Since this page loaded
BASE SALARY EARNED
$0Prorated Earnings Estimate
POTENTIAL INCOME
$0Prorated Earnings Estimate
CAREER EARNINGS
$96,860,000Prorated Earnings Estimate
These tickers illustrate calculated averages based on annual figures and are not actual payments.
Could Bonuses Push Russell to $50m?
A strong season could be worth another $16m in bonuses, taking his potential income to $50m. That builds on the $8m he collected in 2024 and the $11m from his 319-point 2025. His 2026 season stats put him second in the championship on 242 points, and his win in Baku on September 26 was his third of the year, although a technical problem ended his race at Sepang.
How Much Is George Russell Paid Each Month?
PER MONTH
$2.83m
PER WEEK
$654k
PER DAY
$93k
PER HOUR
$3,881
Russell’s $34m base breaks down to about $2.83m a month, $654k a week and $93k a day. Add the $16m bonus scenario and a month is worth $4.17m, or $2.17m for each of the 23 Grands Prix. Mercedes doesn’t pay him in these slices, so read them as illustrative averages rather than official payments.
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Names Harry Soden and Infinity Sports Management as the people managing his career.
Russell's One-Year Mercedes Contract
Mercedes confirmed Russell’s current contract on October 15, 2025, a one-year deal for 2026 that named him alongside Kimi Antonelli. It followed months of links between Max Verstappen and Mercedes, and it covers this season only.
Because it runs for a single year at his current rate, the deal is worth $34m in base salary, with bonuses paid on top. One report valued his package at £30m ($40m) a year, although that figure appears to fold in more than his basic pay. Mercedes has since secured him for 2027 as well.
The 2027 Option Keeping Russell at Mercedes
Russell’s 2027 option was secured in June 2026, shortly after the Barcelona race, and it keeps him at Mercedes until the end of next season. It adds one year rather than a fresh long-term deal.
No new salary has been published, so the extra season is expected to pay the same $34m. That would make his base pay across 2026 and 2027 worth $68m.
Seven years separate Russell’s $500k Williams debut from the $34m Mercedes pays him now. The stints below track how his salary, bonuses and points changed at each stage of that climb. Those earnings sit behind his estimated $40m net worth.
2026
Mercedes
$34m
Paid Like a Team Leader
▾
POTENTIAL INCOME
$50m
AGE
28
TEAM
Mercedes
A one-year deal confirmed in October 2025 more than doubled his base to $34m, and a $16m bonus scenario would take the season to $50m. His 242 points have him second in the standings, behind only his teammate.
SEASON
AGE
BASE SALARY
POTENTIAL INCOME
POINTS
POS
2026
28
$34m
$50m
242
2
2022-2025
Mercedes
$3m-15m
Bonuses Before the Big Salary
▾
POTENTIAL INCOME
$9m-26m
AGE
24-27
TEAM
Mercedes
Mercedes started him on a $3m base, but 275 points in his first season brought a $7m bonus. His salary jumped to $15m for 2024, and a career-best 319 points in 2025 added $11m in bonuses.
SEASON
AGE
BASE SALARY
POTENTIAL INCOME
POINTS
POS
2025
27
$15m
$26m
319
4
2024
26
$15m
$23m
245
6
2023
25
$4m
$9m
175
8
2022
24
$3m
$10m
275
4
2019-2021
Williams
$500k-1m
Proving Himself at Williams
▾
POTENTIAL INCOME
$500k-1m
AGE
21-23
TEAM
Williams
Williams paid $500k in his rookie year and $1m in each of the next two. His 2020 points came from a one-off drive for Mercedes in place of Hamilton, and his 16 points in 2021 included a podium at Spa.
Splits his 2025 earnings into a $15m salary and $11m in bonuses.
Russell's Case for a $34m Salary
Russell’s $34m salary reflects the lead role he took on when Lewis Hamilton left for Ferrari at the end of 2024, and the results he’s delivered since.
A Mercedes product. Mercedes backed him as a junior through his 2017 GP3 and 2018 F2 titles.
He beat Hamilton early. In 2022, his first Mercedes season, he outscored Hamilton 275 to 240 and won in Brazil, the team’s only victory that year.
A career-best 2025. His 319 points last season beat his previous best by 44 and earned him an $11m bonus.
Title contender. With 242 points he’s second in the 2026 standings, one ahead of Lewis Hamilton. He also has eight wins and 13 poles from 170 starts.
Chosen over the Verstappen talk. Mercedes stuck with him despite links to Max Verstappen, confirming 2026 and then securing 2027.
Russell vs Antonelli on Pay and Points
Mercedes pays Russell ten times as much as Kimi Antonelli in base salary, $34m against $3.4m. Bonus scenarios barely change the picture, with potential incomes of $50m and $15.4m. The standings tell the opposite story, with Antonelli leading the championship on 365 points to Russell’s 242.
Mercedes has George Russell under contract until the end of 2027. His current one-year deal covers the 2026 season, and the option for 2027 was secured in June 2026. The extra year is expected to pay the same $34m base salary, which would make 2026 and 2027 worth $68m before bonuses.
Yes. George Russell has a one-year Mercedes contract for 2026, which the team confirmed on October 15, 2025 after months of links between Max Verstappen and his seat. It pays a $34m base this season, and Mercedes has already secured him for 2027 through an option.
George Russell earned about $26m in 2025, made up of a $15m Mercedes base salary and $11m in bonuses from a 319-point season in which he finished fourth. His base then more than doubled to $34m in 2026, when a strong season could take his income to $50m.
George Russell makes about $2.83m a month from his $34m Mercedes base salary in 2026, or roughly $93k a day. Add the $16m bonus scenario and a month is worth $4.17m.
Mercedes doesn’t pay him in these slices, so read them as illustrative averages rather than official payments.
At $34m, George Russell’s 2026 base salary from Mercedes is level with Charles Leclerc’s and behind only Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. It’s more than double his $15m from 2025. Bonuses could add around $16m in a strong season, taking his potential income to $50m.
By a wide margin, George Russell is the better-paid Mercedes driver. His $34m base salary is ten times Kimi Antonelli’s $3.4m, and with bonus scenarios added it’s $50m against $15.4m. Antonelli has the upper hand on track, leading the 2026 championship with 365 points to Russell’s 242.
Williams
