Max Verstappen to pay record-breaking fee for FIA super licence renewal

Henry Valantine 29 Nov 2023 9:00 AM

Max Verstappen puffs out his cheeks.

Max Verstappen’s success has come at a price, with his FIA Super Licence next season set to break a record for how much it will cost to race in F1 next season.

After clinching a record points haul of 575 in one season in 2023, the FIA’s pay-per-point system for the Super Licence, as well as to the teams themselves, means that his and Red Bull’s pockets will be hit to be able to re-enter Formula 1 next season.

Based on 2023 figures, with the 2024 numbers not yet available in public, Verstappen’s Super Licence is set to cost north of €1.2m [£1.04m] – more than double nearest rival Sergio Perez.

Max Verstappen set for record FIA Super Licence fee in 2024 season

After posting a record points total last season, Verstappen spoke out about the “absurd” fee he and Red Bull had to pay the FIA last time these figures were taken.

While he was due to pay €963,800 last season, this time around, even with a fee freeze for 2024, he will be due to pay €1,217,900 – a 26.3% increase on last season.

But given that entry fees for F1 teams went up by 6.5% in line with inflation on the United States Consumer Price Index for 2024, it’s likely that Super Licence fees will follow a similar trend.

For 2023, every driver had to pay a €10,400 flat fee to the FIA for their Super Licence, plus an additional €2,100 for every World Championship point they scored in the 2022 season.

So now that the 2023 season has concluded, we now know more about what the drivers are likely to have to pay to be on the grid again in 2024 – so let’s take a look.