How much does an F1 driver make for winning the championship? Or what is the average salary for the Formula 1 Drivers? Or, how much money do the top F1 stars make per month? We will try to clarify all these and unfold the list of the Top 10 Highest Paid F1 Drivers in 2025 and 2026.
How much do F1 driver’s make per year?
Basically, there is a wide range of earnings. The yearly on-field income ranges from approximately 500k to more than 70 million US Dollars per annum. The majority of the F1 stars annually make over a million dollars from their on-field activities. Indeed, the experienced drivers earn, on average, 10 to 30 million dollars per year. On a monthly basis, they make close to or even over a million dollars. By the way, if you are talking about the rookies or the lower-tier drivers, then the yearly earnings come down to 500k to a million dollars. Their monthly earnings hardly cross the 100k-dollar mark. Oh yes, there are earnings from the endorsement deals as well. But that depends more on your face value, fans’ favoritism, as well as performances.
How much do F1 drivers get paid?
Find out the F1 Drivers’ Salary Per Month and Year.
| Formula 1 Driver’s Category | F1 Driver Salary Per Month | F1 Drivers’ Earnings per Year |
| Rookies or Lower-Tier Drivers | 50k to 100k USD | 500k to over 1M USD |
| Average or Decent Drivers | 10M to 30M USD | 1M to 2.5M USD |
| Top Stars | Up to 5M to 6M USD | Up to 60M or even 70M+ USD |
Top 10 Highest Paid F1 Drivers
Who are the top 10 highest-earning Formula 1 Drivers? Here is the full list based on the on-field earnings.
| F1 Driver Name | Nationality | Yearly On-Field Earnings/Salary |
| Max Verstappen | Dutch-Belgian | US$72 million |
| Lewis Hamilton | British | US$60 million |
| Charles Leclerc | Monégasque | US$34 million |
| George Russell | British | US$34 million |
| Lando Norris | British | US$30 million |
| Fernando Alonso | Spanish | US$20 million |
| Carlos Sainz | Spanish | US$13 million |
| Oscar Piastri | Australian | US$13 million |
| Alex Albon | Thai-British | US$12 million |
| Pierre Gasly | French | US$12 million |
Which F1 Driver has the Highest salary?
Our above chart is completely based on the on-field earnings. On that ranking, Dutch-Belgian star Max Verstappen tops the chart. He bagged a 72-million US Dollars annual payment in 2025 ahead of Lewis Hamilton, who grabbed 60 million dollars from his on-field engagement. So, on that basis, F1 Driver Max Verstappen has the highest salary.
But there is a twist! If you count the overall annual earnings combining both on-field and off-field incomes, then British sensation Lewis Hamilton has the upper hand over his Dutch-Belgian counterpart. According to Forbes Magazine, in 2025, Lewis Hamilton pocketed an immense 80m USD income, thanks to his 20m endorsement deals. On the other hand, Verstappen took home a couple of million less as he fell short with his only 6 million worth sponsorship deals.
| Criteria | Max Verstappen | Lewis Hamilton |
| On-Field Earnings or Incomes from Races, Wins, Contracts | 72 Million US Dollars | 60 Million US Dollars |
| Amount of Off-Field Income, including Endorsements, Advertisements, and Others | 6 Million US Dollars | 20 Million US Dollars |
| Overall Income | 78 Million US Dollars | 80 Million US Dollars |
| F1 Driver with the Highest Salary | Yes | No |
| Highest Earning Formula 1 Driver | No | Yes |
How much do F1 drivers make per Win/Race?
Many of us have a misconception that the F1 drivers may get direct prize money for every win or race. But the actual fact is “No,” they don’t. Indeed, they receive a base salary from their team and also get performance-oriented bonuses. When they win the championship or race, the constructors receive the official prize money. Later, the constructors or teams distribute those, as well as the incentives, to the drivers. By the way, the contract between the drivers and the constructors mentions an undisclosed amount, which is variable for different drivers.
Moreover, when you win the race or championship, that increases your chances of asking for more payment the next season. Furthermore, more win brings in more popularity, not always necessarily, but most often. It also results in an increase in endorsement deals.
According to Grandprix247, the top F1 drivers have received incentives in the region of $6 million to $17 million based on performance. You may also love to take a look at this salary content: Professional Sports Salary Caps & Comparison (2026).
