Formula 1 Driver Salaries [2026]

Formula One is one of the most lucrative sports in terms of pay, with many of the drivers, including Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, and Lando Norris being some of the highest-paid athletes in world sport.

Drivers are able to get bonuses and top up their salaries based on where they finish in the Drivers’ Championship, as well as contributing to where their constructor finishes, meaning if you drive well, you get paid well.

Regarding who the highest earners on the grid are, Verstappen and Hamilton are the two highest-paid, which would come as no surprise, and their salaries, along with the other 20 drivers on the grid for next season, have been revealed ahead of the campaign starting in March.

10

Kimi Antonelli

$12,500,000

The Mercedes driver impressed in his rookie season, finishing seventh in the final standings, with three podiums, including a second-place finish in Brazil, earning him $7.5 million in bonuses alongside his contract.

According to the report, Antonelli will have a base salary of $5m for the 2026 season, which will be topped up to $12.5m overall thanks to bonuses.

9

Carlos Sainz

$13,000,000

Alongside his teammate Alex Albon, they led Williams to fifth place in the Constructors’ Championship last season and established themselves as one of the best of the rest, also getting them a podium after impressing in Azerbaijan, finishing third.

Sainz Jr is reportedly on a base salary of $10m, with bonuses notching him up to a total of $13m.

8

Lance Stroll

$13,500,000

It wasn’t quite the season that Stroll and Aston Martin would’ve been hoping for, with the Canadian finishing 16th in the Drivers’ Championship with only 33 points; his worst result since 2018 in the Williams seat. He was also beaten by rookies such as Antonelli and Isack Hadjar.

Despite the below-par performances, however, he still took home a cool $13.5m, with $12m of that coming from his base salary.

7

George Russell

$26,000,000

Last year proved to be a good one for Russell, as well as Mercedes as a whole, coming second in the Constructors’ Championship, beating both Ferrari and Red Bull to that spot. It was also the Brit’s highest points tally in Formula One to date, accumulating 319 points, with two wins and nine podiums.

A $15m base salary, accompanied by $11m worth of bonuses, sees Russell earn $26m.

6

Fernando Alonso

$26,500,000

It was another steady year for Alonso, who finished inside the top 10 of the Driver’s Championship for the fifth year in a row since his return to the sport, and making sure he gained $2.5 million in bonuses alongside his $24 million salary.

The Spaniard shows no signs of slowing down and continues to impress, despite his advancing years and the fact he’s not driving in one of the most competitive cars on the track.

5

Charles Leclerc

$30,000,000

Last year was a year of what maybe could’ve been for Leclerc, as he went without a win for the fourth time in six years, but still managed to get on the podium seven times.

Many people expect Ferrari to be better in 2026 due to the new regulations and possibly the Monegasque driver will turn his podiums into victories.

Still, he’s the fifth highest-paid driver on the circuit, so it’s not all doom and gloom for the Ferrari ace.

4

Oscar Piastri

$37,500,000

The Australian would’ve hoped for a better end to the season after being in control for the majority of it and letting it slip in the last couple of months, but he’s now shown he’s capable of challenging for the title if given the car and correct strategy. Many expect him to be near the top of the tree come December 2026, with McLaren once again expected to be the dominant team.

The majority of Piastri’s earnings actually come through bonuses, with a $10m base salary topped up massively by $27.5m in bonuses.

3

Lando Norris

$57,500,000

A lot of people knew Norris had the talent to be able to compete against the best in the sport, but weren’t too sure about his temperament and how he would apply himself when things wouldn’t always go how he expected.

In being the world champion and helping McLaren to the Constructors’ Championship, the Brit earned more than double his salary from bonuses from the 2025 season.

A steady $18m salary was boosted massively by $39.5m worth of bonuses.

2

Lewis Hamilton

$70,500,000

Hamilton’s first year with Ferrari didn’t go how he or his fans would’ve wanted it to, with complaints throughout the year of his car being hard to drive. The Brit went without a win for only the third time in his Formula One career as well. It was also the first ever year that he hadn’t stepped foot on the podium.

Despite the poor showing on the track, Hamilton made bank off it, with the majority of it, unsurprisingly, coming from his base salary of $70m.

1

Max Verstappen

$76,000,000

Verstappen was one place away from completing one of the best comebacks in motorsport history. He was nowhere near the Drivers’ Championship conversation for the majority of the season, but almost snatched it from McLaren at the death in Abu Dhabi.

It was still a brilliant year for the Dutchman when not much was thought of him going into the year, but he will still be disappointed that he just missed out on yet another world title.

However, his $65m salary and his $11m worth of bonuses will go some way to cheering him up, as he is, once again, the highest-paid driver on the grid.