Reserve Driver Salaries 2026
Reserve and test drivers are F1's insurance policy — and its cheapest labour. Retainers are modelled from the $1m value of an entry-level race seat: former Grand Prix drivers command $400k–$800k, practice and testing drivers $200k–$400k, and drivers based mainly in other series $100k–$200k. A call-up to race pays roughly $42k per Grand Prix stood in.
| Driver | Team | Role | Pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pato O'Ward | McLaren | Reserve driver | $4m — his IndyCar salary with Arrow McLaren; F1 reserve pay not disclosed Reported |
| Stoffel Vandoorne | Aston Martin | Test & reserve driver | $100k–$200k estimated reserve retainer Estimated |
| Frederik Vesti | Mercedes | Reserve driver | $100k–$200k estimated reserve retainer Estimated |
| Luke Browning | Williams | Reserve driver | $100k–$200k estimated reserve retainer Estimated |
| Paul Aron | Alpine | Reserve driver | $250k–$500k estimated, incl. simulator programme Estimated |
| Jack Doohan | Alpine | Reserve driver (ex-race seat) | Not publicly disclosed Estimated |
| Zhou Guanyu | Ferrari | Reserve driver | Not publicly disclosed Estimated |
| Antonio Giovinazzi | Ferrari | Reserve driver | Not publicly disclosed Estimated |
| Ayumu Iwasa | Racing Bulls | Reserve driver | Not publicly disclosed Estimated |
| Ryo Hirakawa | Haas | Reserve driver — scored 1 point as a stand-in in 2026 | Around $42k per race stood in (call-up rate) Calculated |
| Kush Maini | Alpine | Test driver | No official figure published Estimated |
| Jak Crawford | Aston Martin | Development driver | No official figure published Estimated |
| Leonardo Fornaroli | McLaren | Development driver | No official figure published Estimated |
Method and labels are explained on the methodology page. Where no figure is published and no sound estimate exists, we say so rather than invent one.