Kimi Antonelli Salary 2026 and Why It's Only $3.4m
Kimi Antonelli’s salary for 2026 is a €3m ($3.4m) base from Mercedes, the same rookie-scale figure he’s been paid since his 2025 debut. That works out at roughly $148k per Grand Prix, and it’s only the 17th-highest salary on the grid even though he leads the championship.
Mercedes kept him on those terms by taking up an extension option in his original contract rather than signing a new deal. Forbes estimated his rookie base at $5m, but Gazzetta dello Sport’s €3m report is specific to his Mercedes contract, so we use it for both seasons. His 2027 salary is undisclosed and expected to stay at the same level.
Relays the €3m ($3.4m) base reported by Gazzetta dello Sport and says Mercedes kept him on rookie terms by activating an extension clause.
Base Salary Earned in 2026$2.79m of $3.4m
82% of the way through 2026
Since this page loaded
BASE SALARY EARNED
$0Prorated Earnings Estimate
POTENTIAL INCOME
$0Prorated Earnings Estimate
CAREER EARNINGS
$13,540,000Prorated Earnings Estimate
These tickers illustrate calculated averages based on annual figures and are not actual payments.
Antonelli's Bonus Could Dwarf His Base Pay
Bonuses are where his income could jump. A $12m scenario would take his potential earnings to $15.4m, more than four times his base, and Forbes estimated $7.5m in bonuses for a rookie year in which he scored 150 points, less than half his 2026 points tally. He’s won nine of the 18 Grands Prix held so far, including Monza from 19th on the grid, and leads the championship by 123 points after winning the United States Grand Prix from pole.
Bild reports that a title win would lift his 2026 pay to slightly under €10m once bonuses are added, which GPFans converts to about $11m, and that sits below our $15.4m scenario because the report starts from a $2m base while we use the €3m ($3.4m) reported by Gazzetta dello Sport. It’s a single unconfirmed report and Mercedes hasn’t commented, so we’re keeping our estimate and treating $11m as a lower marker that would still be more than three times his base.
Kimi Antonelli Salary Per Month, Week and Day
PER MONTH
$283k
PER WEEK
$65k
PER DAY
$9,315
PER HOUR
$388
Antonelli’s $3.4m base averages out at $283k a month, $65k a week and $9,315 a day. If the $12m bonus scenario comes through, his monthly figure rises to $1.28m and each Grand Prix is worth around $670k. Think of these as rough averages, since no F1 salary is paid out in neat daily amounts.
F1 SALARIES INSIDER
Get the Money Side of F1 Every Thursday
Follow Kimi Antonelli’s contract and the rest of the 2027 driver market in one free email every Thursday, with the last race by salary, the next race, and a featured driver.
Want every issue in full? Get Insider+ for $5 a month or $40 a year.
Describes Giovanni Minardi as a former manager, which is why he isn't listed as Antonelli's current representative.
Kimi Antonelli's Contract Runs Through 2027
Antonelli is still on the Mercedes contract that brought him into F1. The team announced him as Lewis Hamilton’s replacement on August 31, 2024, and on October 15, 2025 it confirmed him for 2026 by taking up an extension option rather than agreeing new terms. Reports say the deal now runs to the end of 2027, although Mercedes hasn’t announced that season itself.
At €3m ($3.4m) a season, his three years from 2025 to 2027 are worth about $10.2m in base salary, with bonuses paid on top. That assumes his 2027 pay stays the same. Leading the title race in only his second season gives him a strong hand when his next contract is negotiated.
Antonelli’s F1 pay record covers just two seasons, plus the Formula 2 year that earned him Lewis Hamilton’s seat. Each stint below sets his salary and bonuses against the points he scored. Those earnings sit behind his estimated $8m net worth.
2026
Mercedes
$3.4m
Title Leader on $3.4m
▾
POTENTIAL INCOME
$15.4m
AGE
19
TEAM
Mercedes
His base is about $3.4m, yet 365 points have him leading the championship. Even with a $12m bonus scenario his income would reach $15.4m, which is less than half of what Mercedes pays Russell in base salary alone.
SEASON
AGE
BASE SALARY
POTENTIAL INCOME
POINTS
POS
2026
19
$3.4m
$15.4m
365
1
2025
Mercedes
$3.4m
Hamilton's Replacement at 18
▾
POTENTIAL INCOME
$10.9m
AGE
18
TEAM
Mercedes
His rookie contract paid a reported €3m ($3.4m) base, and Forbes estimated $7.5m in bonuses, for about $10.9m in total. He scored 150 points in his first season, taking over the seat Lewis Hamilton had held for 12 years.
SEASON
AGE
BASE SALARY
POTENTIAL INCOME
POINTS
POS
2025
18
$3.4m
$10.9m
150
7
2024
Mercedes
No F1 salary
Skipping F3 for F2
▾
POTENTIAL INCOME
No F1 salary
AGE
TEAM
Mercedes
He skipped Formula 3 and raced in Formula 2 with Prema, winning at Silverstone and the Hungaroring. Mercedes named him as Hamilton’s replacement on August 31, 2024, before he had earned anything as an F1 race driver.
Relays Bild's report that a title win would take his 2026 pay including bonuses to slightly under €10m (about $11m), which Mercedes hasn't confirmed.
Why Antonelli Earns $3.4m While Leading the Championship
Antonelli’s pay still reflects the teenager who stepped up from Formula 2 in 2025, even though he now leads the world championship.
A Mercedes junior since 2019. The team has backed him since his karting days, which strengthens its hand on pay.
Results have overtaken the contract. His 365 points lead the 2026 standings, and he has nine wins and seven poles from only 42 starts.
Bonuses carry the upside. A $12m bonus scenario against a $3.4m base means most of what he could earn this year depends on how many points and wins he collects.
Tied down through 2027. Mercedes faces no immediate pressure to rewrite his terms.
Russell sets the benchmark. His teammate’s $34m shows what Mercedes pays an established race winner, and Antonelli’s next deal will be judged against it.
How Antonelli's Pay Stacks Up Against Russell
Antonelli earns a tenth of George Russell’s salary, with a $3.4m base against $34m. Bonus scenarios bring them to $15.4m and $50m, which still leaves a gap of more than $34m between the two Mercedes drivers. On track the order flips. Antonelli leads Russell by 123 points, 365 to 242.
Mercedes pays Kimi Antonelli a base salary of about $3.4m in 2026, converted from a reported €3m. No driver at Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren, or Red Bull has a lower base. Bonuses could add around $12m after a strong season, which would bring his potential income to $15.4m.
Kimi Antonelli makes about $283k a month from his $3.4m Mercedes base salary in 2026, or around $9,315 a day. If the $12m bonus scenario comes through, his monthly average rises to $1.28m, which shows how much of his potential income depends on results.
Mercedes doesn’t pay him in these even monthly amounts, so treat them as illustrative averages.
Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes contract dates from his 2025 debut and is reported to run until the end of 2027. Mercedes confirmed him for 2026 on October 15, 2025 by taking up an extension option, but it hasn’t announced 2027 itself. Across 2025 to 2027, his base salary is worth about $10.2m before bonuses.
No 2027 salary has been disclosed for Kimi Antonelli. If his current terms carry over, he’ll earn around $3.4m in base pay again, with bonuses on top. His results make that look low. Leading the 2026 championship puts him in a strong position whenever Mercedes next discusses his pay.
On a per-race basis, Kimi Antonelli earns about $148k from his $3.4m base salary across the 23 Grands Prix of 2026. Including a $12m bonus scenario, the average rises to about $670k a race. Mercedes doesn’t publish a per-race rate, so these are illustrations rather than contract terms.
Kimi Antonelli earned about $10.9m in 2025, his rookie season with Mercedes. That total combines a €3m ($3.4m) base salary with the $7.5m in bonuses Forbes estimated for a year in which he scored 150 points and finished seventh.
His base salary stayed at $3.4m in 2026, while the bonus scenario for his title-leading season rises to $12m.
