Verstappen edges out Hamilton… in terms of 2025 earnings

He might have lost out on the title, but Max Verstappen leads the way in terms of 2025 pay.

According to Forbes, the Dutchman picked up $65m (£48.5m)this year plus a further $11m (£8.2m) in bonuses.

Lewis Hamilton, who, other than a Sprint win in China, never made it to the podium, earned $70m (£52.2m) plus £0.5m in bonuses, compared to his teammate Charles Leclerc who earned $30m (£22.4m) but nothing in terms of bonus money.

While Lando Norris was paid an $18m (£13.4m) salary and $39.5m (£29.5m) in bonuses, despite talk of bias and underhand strategies, Oscar Piastri can console himself with the fact that he earned $10m (£7.4m) and a further $27.5m (£20.5m) in bonuses.

Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso earned $24m (£17.9m) plus $2.5m (£1.8m) in bonuses, while teammate Lance Stroll walked away with $13.5m (£10m) in total, including $1.5m (£1.1m) in bonuses. Despite a lacklustre season, one can only assume that the Canadian’s package was boosted due to the fact that he kept his bedroom tidy, ate his greens and helped mom with the shopping.

$11m (£8.2m) in bonuses took George Russell’s pay to $26m (£19.4m), while teenage teammate Kimi Antonelli was paid $5m (£3.7m) plus $7.5m (£5.6m).

At Williams, Carlos Sainz earned $13m (£9.7m) in total, including $3m (£2.2m) in bonuses.

Forbes, who collaborated on the figures with our old friend Caroline Reid, makes clear that the figures are estimates, based on financial documents, legal filings and press reports, in addition to information from “industry insiders”.

The figures stated are rounded up to the nearest half-million, and do not include drivers’ personal sponsorship deals. Bonuses, which are paid for race wins, points scored… vary depending on the team and the experience of the driver.