F1 fans cannot be more excited as season five of Netflix’s popular docuseries Drive to Survive is all set to drop this week. The latest edition of the series will release on Friday, February 24.
Season 5 will feature 10 episodes with Netflix already having provided a hint of what these episodes will feature by releasing their names.
Drive to Survive has been a huge hit as it has not only been watched closely by longtime lovers of F1 but the docuseries has also brought several new fans to the sport.
Ahead of what promises to be yet another exciting season of Drive to Survive, here is a detailed look at which teams earn the most from the hit docuseries.
Also Read: 5 Highlights of Netflix’s Drive to Survive Season 4
Ferrari & Mercedes are leading earners of Netflix’s Drive to Survive
According to a report put out by Motorsport Total in 2021, Ferrari and Red Bull Racing are the leading earners of Netflix’s hit docuseries, Drive to Survive.
It is believed that the OTT platform does not pay an individual license fee to each of the teams, and instead pays F1 directly. F1 then pays the income received to the teams, who then pay their drivers and the rest of their employees.
However, it is pertinent to note that not all teams receive the same income. As per reports, F1 distributes the incomes to teams on the basis of fame rather than on the basis of screen time each team has in the docuseries.
Hence, the most famous teams receive the most income while the least famous sides receive the least. Moreover, the report adds that teams like Ferrari are also paid independent bonuses.
What is most shocking about the report from Motorsport Total is that the likes of Ferrari and Mercedes were paid significantly more than the other teams for season 1 of Drive to Survive even though they did not take part in the docuseries.
The report states that both Ferrari and Mercedes received a whopping $1 million each from Netflix’s total salary distribution of $5 million. Meanwhile, the rest of the teams on the grid just received $250,000 each.
Also Read: Replacement Named for Daniel Ricciardo as Drive to Survive Favorite Takes Final Bow in Season 5
Incomes of F1’s big teams are disproportionally more than other sides
The domination of F1’s big teams is not just limited to Netflix’s Drive to Survive docuseries as they also receive a much higher percentage of the sport’s income as compared to other teams.
While the prize money received by teams is solely based on performance, the same cannot be said for other incomes such as bonuses.
For example, according to a report from TotalSportal, Ferrari is the only team that earns a special 2.5% bonus of F1’s overall income because of their special contract with the sport.
As per the report, only 50% of F1’s overall income is distributed in a fair and equitable manner, while the rest of the 50% is earned solely by the big four teams: Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull Racing.
Column 1 includes the income that F1 distributes equally to all 10 constructors participating in the championship. Column 2 includes income teams received based on their performance in the season (points scored, podiums earned, number of fastest laps, etc). Meanwhile, Column 3 includes other bonuses.
The complete breakdown of the incomes (information received from TotalSportal) earned by the teams for the 2021 season is given below:
| Sr. No. | Teams | Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 | Total Income |
| 1 | Ferrari | $35 million | $56 million | $114 million | $205 million |
| 2 | Mercedes | $35 million | $66 million | $76 million | $177 million |
| 3 | McLaren | $35 million | $46 million | $71 million | $152 million |
| 4 | Red Bull Racing | $35 million | $32 million | $33 million | $100 million |
| 5 | Renault | $35 million | $38 million | N/A | $73 million |
| 6 | Haas | $35 million | $35 million | N/A | $70 million |
| 7 | Racing Point | $35 million | $24 million | N/A | $59 million |
| 8 | Sauber | $35 million | $21 million | N/A | $56 million |
| 9 | Toro Rosso | $35 million | $17 million | N/A | $52 million |
| 10 | Williams | $35 million | $15 million | N/A | $50 million |
Also Read: Which Driver Receives the Highest and Lowest Salaries in Formula 1 2023?
Why do bigger F1 teams earn substantially more than others?
As seen in the table above, the revenues earned by the 10 teams vary significantly. Teams like Ferrari earn substantially more from bonuses alone. As explained earlier, Ferrari earns a special 2.5% bonus just for competing in the championship.
They receive this income for being one of the oldest teams in the sport and for their sheer ability to attract fans and sponsorship deals that are beneficial for the whole sport.
Similarly to the Prancing Horse, the likes of Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull Racing also earn a significant amount of money in bonuses as compared to the other six teams. All these four teams also receive something that is called the Constructors’ Championship Bonus (CCB).
Since all these four sides have had recent success when it comes to winning the Constructors’ Championship, they receive a part of this income. Until recently, Williams also received a share of the CCB for their success before the 2000s.
Even though such a revenue distribution model may seem unfair to most, this is how the sport has operated for a while. It remains to be seen if any changes would be made as some of the smaller teams have also raised concerns about their survival.
Also Read: How Much Did the FIA Earn From F1 Drivers and Teams for the 2022 Season?
