F1 2026 Driver Salaries: Verstappen Leads List as Top Earners Revealed

Max Verstappen remains Formula 1's highest-paid driver for the 2026 season, with total earnings reaching $76 million. Lewis Hamilton sits just behind him with a reported $70.5 million package at Ferrari, while McLaren's recent championship success has triggered massive bonus payouts for Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, propelling them up the financial rankings.

Why it matters:

The financial hierarchy highlights the immense value teams place on proven winners and marketable stars. With driver salaries exempt from the sport's budget cap, top teams can still flex their financial muscle to secure elite talent, creating a significant economic barrier for smaller teams trying to bridge the gap to the front of the grid.

By the numbers:

The financial breakdown reveals a clear pecking order, heavily influenced by performance-related incentives rather than just base salaries.

• The Top Two: Verstappen leads the grid with $76 million, bolstered by $11 million in bonuses. Hamilton commands the highest base salary in the sport at $70 million.
• McLaren's Windfall: Lando Norris earns $57.5 million, with a staggering $39.5 million coming from bonuses after securing the Drivers' title. Teammate Oscar Piastri takes home $37.5 million, largely thanks to the team's Constructors' Championship victory.
• The Chasers: Charles Leclerc ($30m), Fernando Alonso ($26.5m), and George Russell ($26m) round out the upper bracket, with Russell seeing a significant boost from performance bonuses.
• Rookie Scale: While most rookies start at the bottom, Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli enters the top 10 earners with $12.5 million. In contrast, Arvid Lindblad is expected to earn between $500,000 and $1 million.

Between the lines:

The exemption of driver salaries from the budget cap remains a critical factor in team strategy. It allows organizations like Ferrari and McLaren to reward championship-winning performances without compromising their development spending under the financial regulations. Meanwhile, the low entry salaries for rookies like Lindblad contrast sharply with the immediate earning power of highly touted prospects like Antonelli, reflecting the varying leverage drivers hold even before their first race.