Lando Norris may be F1 champion on the track, but it\u2019s a different story in the race to financial supremacy as the sport\u2019s top ten earners revved up an estimated $363 million in salary and bonuses this year.<\/p>\n
The battle for the Formula 1 drivers\u2019 championship went down to the season\u2019s final day, but with a third-place finish in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday, Lando Norris edged his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri and the reigning four-time champion, Red Bull\u2019s Max Verstappen, to claim the 2025 title\u2014and an estimated $10 million bonus.<\/p>\n
But even adding in an estimated $18 million in salary and another $29.5 million tied to the 26-year-old Englishman\u2019s performance on the track, for a total of $57.5 million this season, Norris crosses 2025\u2019s finish line in third place in F1\u2019s financial race.<\/p>\n
Ahead of Norris is seven-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton, who set a series record with a salary that Forbes estimates at $70 million and tacked on an estimated $500,000 in bonuses in his first season with Ferrari after 12 hugely successful years with Mercedes. But it is Verstappen who ultimately led the F1 pack again with estimated total compensation of $76 million, counting $65 million in salary and $11 million in bonuses. The 28-year-old Dutch superstar has now held the on-track earnings crown for four straight seasons.<\/p>\n
Across the grid, Formula 1\u2019s ten highest-paid drivers raked in an estimated $363 million on the track this season\u2014a 15% increase from 2024\u2019s $317 million<\/a> and a remarkable 72% jump since Forbes first began publishing the ranking<\/a> in 2021.<\/p>\n Hamilton\u2019s Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc, fifth with an estimated $30 million, up from $27 million, is among the drivers whose paychecks picked up the pace after he got a substantial salary boost under a new contract signed last year.<\/p>\n With Sergio P\u00e9rez dropping off the list after he lost his seat at Red Bull and Pierre Gasly falling off as well amid a disastrous season at Alpine that effectively robbed him of opportunities to score performance bonuses, the ranking also features two newcomers.<\/p>\n Aston Martin\u2019s Lance Stroll is No. 8 this year with an estimated $13.5 million. That number might seem high given the 27-year-old Canadian\u2019s pedestrian racing results\u2014he finished 16th in the driver standings this season with 33 points\u2014but it reflects a revelation from his team\u2019s public financial filings. Because Stroll is the son of billionaire team owner Lawrence Stroll<\/a>, Aston Martin had to disclose his compensation of $12.3 million during the 2024 season, up from $5.6 million in 2023.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Mercedes\u2019 Kimi Antonelli, who in March became the third-youngest driver to make his Formula 1 debut at 18 years 6 months 19 days old, comes in at No. 10 with an estimated $12.5 million from his promising rookie season.<\/p>\n Beyond the specific circumstances of any individual, drivers across F1 are reaping the rewards of two trends pushing up salaries. First, Formula 1\u2019s turbocharged business, with both sponsorships and the prize money being offered by the series revving up, is giving teams more money to play with. Forbes estimates that the ten F1 teams averaged $430 million in revenue<\/a> last season as the average team valuation soared to $3.6 billion<\/a> this year, from $1.9 billion in 2023<\/a>.<\/p>\n At the same time, the cost cap introduced in 2021<\/a> is restricting what teams can spend in many areas related to racecar design and construction, to roughly $170 million this season. But driver salaries are excluded from that budget calculation, giving teams desperate for any edge on the track one clear category where they can flex their financial muscle.<\/p>\n Outside of the occasional disclosure in a financial filing or lawsuit, as in the case of Stroll, Formula 1 driver compensation figures are rarely made publicly available. However, contracts are typically understood to link drivers\u2019 pay directly to their performance on the track. A veteran driver for a prominent team will generally receive a large, guaranteed salary along with bonuses for race victories or a championship. Drivers who are less experienced or race for smaller teams tend to receive smaller salaries but can get significant bonuses for winning races or securing points in the standings.<\/p>\n Drivers can further pad their pay with endorsements, but unlike Forbes\u2019 lists of the highest-paid players in, say, soccer<\/a> or the NBA<\/a>, the Formula 1 earnings ranking focuses solely on salaries and bonuses, excluding off-track income.<\/p>\n In practice, F1 drivers often have little room to seek out personal partnerships because of their obligations to their teams and their teams\u2019 sponsors, which may require them to make appearances and may prohibit conflicting deals within that brand\u2019s category. Hamilton is by far the most marketable driver currently on the grid, with an estimated $20 million in earnings off the track over the 12 months ending in May, helping him rank 22nd on Forbes\u2019 2025 list of the world\u2019s highest-paid athletes<\/a>. Verstappen, by contrast, collected an estimated $6 million in the same period.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t feel too bad for him, however. Adding in his latest haul, Verstappen has made $323 million across the five years that Forbes has published the F1 earnings ranking\u2014which should also soften the blow of his near miss with this season\u2019s championship.<\/p>\n HIGHEST-PAID F1 DRIVERS 2025\n<\/p>\n #1. $76 millionTeam: Red Bull Racing | Nationality: Netherlands | Age: 28 | Salary: $65 million | Bonuses: $11 million<\/p>\n Relative to his dominant 2023 and 2024, in which he won at least seven of each season\u2019s first ten Grand Prix races, Verstappen got off to a slow start this year, with just two victories through 15 rounds. But the 28-year-old Dutch star made a furious charge down the stretch, winning six of the final nine Grand Prix races, and ended up with a series-best eight Grand Prix victories on the season, including Sunday\u2019s finale in Abu Dhabi. He finished just 2 points behind McLaren\u2019s Lando Norris, narrowly missing a fifth championship that would have moved him into a tie for third all-time among Formula 1 drivers alongside Juan Manuel Fangio. Still, in September, during a break between F1 races, Verstappen proved that he can win no matter what kind of car he\u2019s driving. Behind the wheel of a Ferrari 296 sports car, he prevailed in his first race under the GT3 classification, triumphing alongside Chris Lulham in Germany on the N\u00fcrburgring Endurance Series.<\/p>\n #2. $70.5 millionTeam: Ferrari | Nationality: United Kingdom | Age: 40 | Salary: $70 million | Bonuses: $0.5 million<\/p>\n Bryn Lennon\/Formula-1\/Getty Images<\/p>\n After Hamilton announced last year that he was leaving Mercedes following 12 seasons\u2014and six drivers\u2019 championships\u2014he said it would fulfill a \u201cchildhood dream\u201d to compete for Ferrari. By November, however, the 40-year-old Englishman was calling his first season in red a \u201cnightmare<\/a>.\u201d While Hamilton finished a respectable sixth in the driver standings, he did not reach the podium at a single Grand Prix\u2014his first season without a top-three finish in his illustrious 19-year Formula 1 career. \u201cIt\u2019s been the worst season ever,\u201d he told Sky Sports last month. \u201cNo matter how much I try, it keeps getting worse.\u201d On the bright side, Hamilton did win the sprint race in China in March, and he can look forward to a full reset in 2026 with an entirely new car under Formula 1\u2019s radically different technical specifications<\/a>.<\/p>\n #3. $57.5 millionTeam: McLaren | Nationality: United Kingdom | Age: 26 | Salary: $18 million | Bonuses: $39.5 million<\/p>\n Early last season, Norris moved into sole possession of a dubious distinction: the most podiums ever for a Formula 1 driver without a race win, recording his 15th top-three finish in China that April. Then came four breakthrough victories as Norris mounted a surprise challenge of Red Bull\u2019s Max Verstappen, and the 26-year-old Englishman proved this year that it was no fluke, piling up seven Grand Prix wins and 18 podiums in 24 races to hold off Verstappen and his own teammate Oscar Piastri for the drivers\u2019 championship. \u201cI\u2019ve not cried in a while, and I didn\u2019t think I would cry, but I did,\u201d Norris, the first McLaren driver to capture the title since Lewis Hamilton in 2008, said after Sunday\u2019s finale. \u201cIt has been a long year, but we did it, and I\u2019m so proud of everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n #4. $37.5 millionTeam: McLaren | Nationality: Australia | Age: 24 | Salary: $10 million | Bonuses: $27.5 million<\/p>\n Piastri spent the season locked in a championship duel with Lando Norris, and although the 24-year-old Australian ultimately fell 13 points short of his McLaren teammate\u2014and 11 behind a late-charging Max Verstappen\u2014he racked up seven Grand Prix wins and 16 podium finishes and helped clinch the constructors\u2019 race in October. He will get his chance to turn the tables next season after signing a multiyear contract extension with McLaren in March.<\/p>\n #5. $30 millionTeam: Ferrari | Nationality: Monaco | Age: 28 | Salary: $30 million | Bonuses: $0<\/p>\n Bryn Lennon\/Formula-1\/Getty Images<\/p>\n This year has had its ups and downs for Leclerc. On the negative end of the spectrum, the 28-year-old Monegasque star slipped to fifth in the driver standings, from third in 2024, amid a frustrating season for Ferrari. On the bright side, Leclerc, whose contract reportedly runs through 2029, announced his engagement to model Alexandra Saint Mleux in November and has made a couple of other commitments, signing brand deals with Chivas Regal and Eight Sleep. He also launched an apparel line called CL16 and a creative studio, Sidequest<\/a>, to produce content with brands.<\/p>\n #6. $26.5 millionTeam: Aston Martin | Nationality: Spain | Age: 44 | Salary: $24 million | Bonuses: $2.5 million<\/p>\n Bryn Lennon\/Formula-1\/Getty Images<\/p>\n After a disappointing 2024, Alonso had an even worse 2025, sliding to tenth in the season-long standings with 56 points as Aston Martin sputtered to seventh as a team. The 44-year-old two-time champion has another year under contract, which will give him a chance to get back into contention under an overhaul of Formula 1\u2019s technical specifications and with Aston Martin switching its engines from Mercedes to Honda. \u201cIf the car performs poorly, there\u2019s a chance I\u2019ll stay on for another year to finish on a high note,\u201d Alonso told AS.com<\/a> in September. \u201cIf the car performs well, 2026 will probably be my last year.\u201d<\/p>\n #7. $26 millionTeam: Mercedes | Nationality: United Kingdom | Age: 27 | Salary: $15 million | Bonuses: $11 million<\/p>\n With Lewis Hamilton departing for Ferrari, Russell was Mercedes\u2019 clear No. 1 driver this year and delivered a fourth-place finish in the drivers\u2019 standings, with two Grand Prix victories. In October, the 27-year-old Englishman signed a contract extension to remain with the Silver Arrows next season and later revealed<\/a> that, if he reaches certain performance targets, the deal will be automatically renewed for 2027.<\/p>\n #8. $13.5 millionTeam: Aston Martin | Nationality: Canada | Age: 27 | Salary: $12 million | Bonuses: $1.5 million<\/p>\n Jayce Illman\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Like his Aston Martin teammate Fernando Alonso, Stroll struggled in 2025, falling to 16th in the standings with 33 points and posting top-ten finishes in just six Grand Prix races\u2014never higher than sixth. However, the 27-year-old Canadian\u2019s future appears secure at Aston Martin\u2014owned by his father, billionaire Lawrence Stroll\u2014after he signed a contract extension in June 2024.<\/p>\n #9. $13 millionTeam: Williams | Nationality: Spain | Age: 31 | Salary: $10 million | Bonuses: $3 million<\/p>\n Forced out of his Ferrari seat after four seasons by Lewis Hamilton, Sainz signed a contract with Williams through 2026. In his first year with his new team, the 31-year-old Spaniard was ninth in the standings with two podium finishes. He clearly has the respect of his peers, however: This year, his fellow Formula 1 drivers voted to make him a director of the Grand Prix Drivers\u2019 Association, their trade union.<\/p>\n #10. $12.5 millionTeam: Mercedes | Nationality: Italy | Age: 19 | Salary: $5 million | Bonuses: $7.5 million<\/p>\n Bryn Lennon\/Formula-1\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Antonelli had impossibly big shoes to fill as a teenage rookie, sliding into the legendary Lewis Hamilton\u2019s seat at Mercedes. Despite some bumps along the way\u2014particularly during a midseason stretch in which he had to retire four times in six races\u2014he showed his potential by reaching the podium at three Grand Prix races. He also came in seventh in the season-long driver standings, just six points behind his predecessor, Hamilton, thanks to a strong finish with points in eight of the final 11 Grand Prix races.<\/p>\n METHODOLOGY<\/p>\n With few Formula 1 driver salaries publicly available, Forbes generated its on-track compensation estimates in collaboration with Forbes.com contributor Caroline Reid of the data firm Formula Money. The estimates are based on financial documents, legal filings and press reports, as well as conversations with industry insiders. All pay figures are listed in U.S. dollars and are rounded to the nearest half-million.<\/p>\n Drivers typically receive a base salary plus bonuses for points scored or for race or championship wins, with the bonus amount depending on the size of the team and the experience of the driver. Off-track compensation, including endorsements, is not included in this ranking. Forbes does not deduct for taxes or agents\u2019 fees.<\/p>\n Illustration Credit: Illustration by Alice Lagarde For Forbes; PHOTOS BY MARIO RENZI\/FORMULA 1\/GETTY IMAGES (2); MARCO CANONIERO\/LIGHTROCKET\/GETTY IMAGES; MARK THOMPSON\/GETTY IMAGES (2); NURPHOTO\/GETTY IMAGES (7); MARK SUTTON \/FORMULA 1\/GETTY IMAGES (3); CHANDAN KHANNA\/GETTY IMAGES; CLIVE ROSE\/GETTY IMAGES; JARED C. TILTON\/FORMULA 1\/GETTY IMAGES; KYM ILLMAN\/GETTY IMAGES (2); HECTOR VIVAS\/GETTY IMAGES (2); ICON SPORTSWIRE\/GETTY IMAGES; BRYN LENNON\/FORMULA 1\/GETTY IMAGES (2); PHILIP FONG\/GETTY IMAGES; ANDREA DIODATO\/NURPHOTO\/GETTY IMAGES; PETER FOX\/GETTY IMAGES; BRYAN STEFFY\/STRINGER\/GETTY IMAGES
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