F1 drivers are among the best-paid sports figures on the planet. Being able to drive a car as if flying a fighter jet certainly pays its due. The salary ranges for F1 drivers have increased exponentially over the last few decades, but who is the best-paid driver on the current grid?
Highest-Paid F1 Drivers for the 2025 Season: Estimates Revealed
Formularacers on X posted RacingNews365’s estimated ranking of which F1 stars get paid the most this season. Being paid millions of dollars every year demands that one produce results, and these stars have been among the best in the sport in recent times.
Let’s explore the list and see how each driver fared in their career so far.
9) Alex Albon — $8 million
Wins: 0
Podiums: 2
Fastest Laps: 1
Best Championship Finish: 7th (2020)
8) Pierre Gasly — $10 million
Wins: 1
Podiums: 5
Fastest Laps: 3
Best Championship Finish: 7th (2019)
7) Carlos Sainz — $10 million
Wins: 4
Podiums: 28
Fastest Laps: 4
Best Championship Finish: 5th (2021, 2022, 2024)
6) George Russell — $15 million
Wins: 5
Podiums: 24
Fastest Laps: 11
Best Championship Finish: 4th (2022)
5) Fernando Alonso — $20 million
Wins: 32
Podiums: 106
Fastest Laps: 26
Best Championship Finish: 2x World Champion (2005, 2006)
4) Lando Norris — $20 million
Wins: 11
Podiums: 43
Fastest Laps: 18
Best Championship Finish: 2nd (2024)
3) Charles Leclerc — $34 million
Wins: 8
Podiums: 50
Fastest Laps: 10
Best Championship Finish: 2nd (2022)
2) Lewis Hamilton — $60 million
Wins: 105
Podiums: 202
Fastest Laps: 68
Best Championship Finish: 7× World Champion (, , , , , , )
1) Max Verstappen — $65 million
Wins: 69
Podiums: 125
Fastest Laps: 36
Best Championship Finish: 4× World Champion (, , , )
As the champions of recent years, it’s understandable why Verstappen and Hamilton dominate the ranking. The Dutchman is the defending champ, currently sitting on a four-title win streak, which began with a 2021 grand finale win over Hamilton, who also held a four-season winning streak up until that point.
These rankings will be challenged as the season pushes on, as drivers aim to prove that they are worth more than they are being paid.
Previewing the Final 2 Races of the 2025 F1 Season
We head to the Middle East next to round up the 2025 campaign. Qatar is the first stop before Abu Dhabi, and the Drivers’ Championship race is wide open after McLaren’s devastating double disqualification in Vegas.
Verstappen’s consistency has served him well here at the business end of the season, as McLaren’s performance slump has seen him pull within 24 points of pole.
Norris and Piastri should be back on pace in the Middle East, with no more street circuits left this year. But with Red Bull’s head man charging hard at the Papayas, it’s anyone’s guess who’ll clinch the title in the grand finale.
