Max Verstappen hits out at ‘absurd’ rising FIA Super Licence costs

Max Verstappen is far from pleased with the fee nearing one million euros that must be paid for his F1 2023 Super Licence.

In order for each driver to participate in a new Formula 1 season, a fee is paid to the FIA, that sum calculated by combining a set fee with an amount calculated based on how many points each driver scored in the season just gone.

Verstappen scored a whopping 454 points on his way to the 2022 Drivers’ title, winning a record 15 races, but this has landed him with a record fee of €963,800 to enter the 2023 F1 season.

Combined with the standard fee of €10,400, in addition €2,100 is added per point scored, which led to the mammoth fee for Verstappen.

And the Red Bull driver has branded this amount as “absurd”.

“I think the amount is absurd,” said Verstappen, as per Motorsport-Total.com. “I don’t think it’s right that we have to pay so much.

“That’s not the case in other sports either. And there are more and more races.”

Verstappen reportedly earned the most out of all drivers in the 2022 F1 season, and is seemingly set to repeat that in 2023, but nonetheless, such a fee would be far from painless to pay.

Luckily for Verstappen then, but unfortunately for Red Bull, the team’s advisor and driver programme boss Helmut Marko said that as per his understanding, Verstappen’s contract dictates that Red Bull will be the ones paying Verstappen’s Super Licence fee.

“I’m afraid we have to pay that, if I have our contract right in my head,” Marko stated.

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Below you can read the full list of reported Super Licence fees for the 2023 F1 season, Nico Hulkenberg, Oscar Piastri and Logan Sargeant in the best position in this regard since this trio must each pay the standard €10,400 only.

Hulkenberg did not score points in his pair of stand-in Aston Martin appearances at the start of the 2022 campaign, while Piastri and Sargeant are 2023 rookies.

Charles Leclerc meanwhile is Verstappen’s closest challenger, like he was on the track in 2022, having been required to pay a fee of €657,200.

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