Hamilton, Verstappen, Vettel & Alonso salaries: How much do F1 drivers get paid?

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By Kim Loe

Published Sep 16, 2021

Which Formula One drivers get paid the most and the least?!

As the silly season of F1 comes to an end, and team bosses dot the i's and cross the t's on their 2022 lineup contracts, some have drawn their attention to the latest driver salaries.

F1 teams or not required to make their drivers' wages public knowledge, but figures released by reputable media, such as The Independent, are usually very close to the mark.

It's no surprise to see Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen way out at the top of the list. The speedy pair are in a clear two-horse race for this year's championship, head and shoulders above the rest of the field. Their clash at last weekend's Italian GP has only spiced things up further, making for what has been the closest championship battle in recent years.

While Verstappen heads into the Russian Grand Prix five points ahead of Hamilton, he will also face a three-place grid penalty for being at fault for their Monza collision.

Fernando Alonso may surprise some as the third highest-paid driver due to his age and lack of points so far. However, his position at Alpine is also one of mentor and technical advisor. During the Hungarian GP, he also provided his worth and experience, where he frustrated a pacey Hamilton to play the perfect wingman role to teammate Esteban Ocon, who took a shocking win.

Next on the list are Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo, who earn a handsome £11m for the season. Both are playing similar mentor roles at their respective teams Aston Martin and McLaren. While Ricciardo has previously struggled to find the pace in his first season with McLaren, his win at last weekend's Grand Prix has capped off some fine performances in recent weeks.

At the other end of the scale, two drivers who could argue that they are undervalued are Lando Norris and George Russell. Norris, thought to be on £4m this season, regularly outperforms teammate Ricciardo and the rest of the middle field. Just nine points behind Valtteri Bottas in the Drivers' Championship, he is a serious contender for third position overall.

On just £730,800, Russell is one of the lowest-paid drivers in this year's championship. Earning the nickname 'Mr. Saturday,' Russell has often been a star performer in qualifying, squeezing everything out of a slow Williams car.

He also shocked the field with his second-place finish at the rain-soaked Belgium GP.

Russell won't have to wait long to bump up his paycheque, however, having recently signed a 2022 contract with front runners Mercedes.