Motorsport

Verstappen got a huge bonus for the 2023 season and is the richest F1 driver! How much did the other drivers earn?

Max Verstappen became the richest driver in Formula 1 last season, receiving a very generous bonus on top of his basic salary. Where do the other drivers stand in terms of earnings for the 2023 season?

Published

11 months ago

19. 12. 2023

Tomáš Myšák

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, F1 — Zdroj: Rudy Carezzevoli, Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool

Verstappen has won nineteen of the twenty-two grand prix this year and has made his mark in the historical statistics of Formula 1.

The Dutch driver has only failed to win races in Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan (both of which were won by his teammate Sergio Pérez) and Singapore, where Carlos Sainz triumphed.

Otherwise, however, the Verstappen-Red Bull combination was almost flawless. Moreover, the reigning three-time champion broke a number of impressive records on his way to winning a third consecutive title. We’ve covered this topic in more detail in a previous article.

And this, in addition to the entry in the annals of history, must of course also appear on the money. After all, the Dutch racer won his third consecutive world championship title, scored an impressive 575 points and won another Constructors’ Cup for Red Bull with his performances alone.

So, on the financial side, Forbes magazine has compiled a ranking of the highest paid drivers in F1 today. And unsurprisingly, Verstappen is at the top. The reigning champion earned a total of $70 million for the 2023 season, including a $25 million bonus. All amounts in the table are in dollars.

Verstappen at the top of the standings, Hamilton without bonus

Pilot	Salary in 23 season	Bonus	Total amount
1. Max Verstappen	45 million	25 million	70 million
2. Lewis Hamilton	55 million	0	55 million
3. Fernando Alonso	24 million	10 million	34 million
4. Sergio Pérez	10 million	16 million	26 million
5. Charles Leclerc	14 million	5 million	19 million
6. Lando Norris	5 million	10 million	15 million
7. Carlos Sainz	8 million	6 million	14 million
8. George Russell	4 million	5 million	9 million
9. Pierre Gasly	5 million	3 million	8 million
10. Oscar Piastri	3 million	5 million	8 million

It should be noted, unlike the earnings rankings that Forbes compiles for, say, football or the NBA, the F1 rankings do not include business income and focus only on salaries.

Drivers still have their own partners and sponsors, which of course makes them a lot of money. In this area, Lewis Hamilton is the richest. The seven-time champion earns another $10 million a year off the track, Verstappen $4 million.

Source: F1, Forbes