After a grueling 2021 Title battle with Lewis Hamilton, a lot of people expected Max Verstappen to have a quiet season. The Red Bull driver, however, dominated the 2022 season completely to win his second World Championship.
This time, his Title battle did not go on till the last lap of the season finale. On the contrary, he comfortably sealed with four races to spare and his dominance also allowed Red Bull to win their first Constructors” Championship since 2013. Heading into this campaign, Hamilton was the driver with the highest salary in F1 alongside Verstappen.
However, recent reports indicate that the Dutchman is the undisputed highest earner in the sport. According to Forbes, Verstappen has a base salary of $40 million, and also earned an additional $20 million from bonuses. Hamilton meanwhile, has a fixed salary of $55 million which puts him behind Verstappen in the list of highest earners.
After such a dominant display in 2022, it’s not surprising that Red Bull is spending big to secure Verstappen’s services to the team.
How much do F1 drivers other than Max Verstappen earn?
Hamilton is the second-highest earner in F1 with $55 million being the amount Mercedes paid him. The other F1 drivers earn comparatively less, but they aren’t small amounts under any circumstances!
Two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso earns $30 million with Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez getting $26 million. Charles Leclerc, who finished P2 in the 2022 Drivers’ Championship gets paid $23 million by Scuderia Ferrari.
Fan favorites and outgoing F1 drivers Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo both earned $17 million a piece in their final season in the sport (for now).
Does George Russell earn more than Lando Norris?
George Russell and Lando Norris are two of the most popular drivers in F1 today. The two young Brits have millions of fans worldwide, who label them as World Champions in the waiting. Norris has spent the entirety of his F1 career with McLaren so far, but Russell joined Mercedes only this year.
Fans will find it surprising that Russell has a basic salary of just $3 million which can go up to $10 million with bonusses. Norris earns slightly more than his compatriot, with McLaren paying him $5 million in base salary. The Bristol born driver can also earn bonuses of up to $6 million.
