How Much Do F1 Drivers Make?

In 2026, Formula 1 drivers earn between $500k and $70m in base salary. The grid total is $370.1m, the average $15.42m and the median $8m — but the spread is the story: the top five drivers take 62% of all driver pay.

The pay ladder

• Rookies and pay-adjacent seats: $500k–$2m. Some bring sponsorship that offsets the team's cost.
• Established midfield: $7m–$13m for proven points scorers.
• Race winners at big teams: $18m–$34m.
• The elite: $60m–$70m base for Hamilton and Verstappen, with bonuses and image-rights structures on top.

Base salary is not the whole deal

Contracts layer performance bonuses (wins, podiums, championship position), personal sponsors, and image rights held through a driver's own company. Lando Norris's 2026 deal is the extreme case: a $30m base with a reported $69.5m ceiling. Our bonuses guide breaks down how the extra money is triggered.

Why sources disagree

Teams never publish salaries, and drivers are excluded from the cost cap, so no filing exists. Every list — ours included — is built from paddock reporting, led by RacingNews365's annual survey, cross-checked against Forbes and Sportico. Where sources disagree we show a range and label the figure; where a number is our own estimate, it says Estimated. The full system is on the methodology page.

Compared to other sports

F1's top pay rivals elite football and the NBA's upper tier, but the tail is far longer: a backmarker rookie earns less than a mid-rotation NBA player. The difference is that only 22–24 seats exist — scarcity, not audience size, sets F1 pay.

See the numbers: 2026 salary table · highest paid · lowest paid