Revealed: The eye-watering numbers each driver must pay to enter F1 2023
The numbers are in for what each driver must fork out for their F1 2023 Super Licence, and great success comes at a price!
The 2022 campaign was a story of dominance courtesy of Max Verstappen, the Red Bull driver winning a record 15 grands prix out of 22 on his way to a second World Championship.
But, while those are the sorts of records which the Dutchman will love, he probably will not like the latest record which he has set.
That is because the Dutchman will now be required to pay the highest Super Licence fee in Formula 1 history in order to partake in the 2023 season, as he goes in search of a third Drivers’ title in succession.
A mind-boggling €963,800 fee is what Verstappen must pay as per the FIA Super Licence rules, which is made up of a €10,400 base figure, plus €2,100 for every point scored in the season just gone.
With Verstappen having collected 454 points in 2022, it is easy to see where most of that figure has come from.
Meanwhile at the other end of the scale is rookies Oscar Piastri and Logan Sargeant, plus the returning Nico Hulkenberg, who only needs to pay the €10,400.
Hulkenberg did appear in the two opening rounds of the 2022 campaign with Aston Martin, taking the place of the ill Sebastian Vettel in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, but did not score points as Aston Martin suffered an underwhelming start to the season.
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Here are the fees that all 20 drivers must pay for their F1 2023 Super Licence…
1. Max Verstappen, 454 points in 2022, fee – €963,800
2. Charles Leclerc, 308 – €657,200
3. Sergio Perez, 305 – €650,900
4. George Russell, 275 – €587,900
5. Carlos Sainz, 246 – €527,000
6. Lewis Hamilton, 240 – €514,400
7. Lando Norris, 122 – €266,600
8. Esteban Ocon, 92 – €203,600
9. Fernando Alonso, 81 – €180,500
10. Valtteri Bottas, 49 – €113,300
11. Kevin Magnussen, 25 – €62,900
12. Pierre Gasly, 23 – €58,700
13. Lance Stroll, 18 – €48,200
14. Yuki Tsunoda, 12 – €35,600
15. Zhou Guanyu, 6 – €23,000
16. Alex Albon, 4 – €18,800
17. Nyck de Vries, 2 – €14,600
=18. Nico Hulkenberg, 0 – €10,400
=18. Oscar Piastri, 0 – €10,400
=18. Logan Sargeant, 0 – €10,400
On the plus side for Verstappen, he was at least rewarded handsomely for his success on the track in 2022, pocketing an estimated pre-tax pay cheque of $60 million (£49.3m), making him the highest earner for the year among the Formula 1 drivers.
If the Dutchman’s prediction of a more competitive scene at the front of the F1 2023 grid comes true, then at least that should mean it costs him less to enter in 2024…