F1 Drivers Salaries in 2025: Who Really Earned the Most?

The 2025 F1 season has wrapped up, and with the lights finally dimmed, it’s time to dive into the numbers, salaries, and curiosities behind what we saw on track. One of the hottest questions? How much did the drivers earn when considering results, base salaries, and bonuses? And, most importantly: who was the highest-paid driver of the year?

According to a detailed analysis published by Forbes, the ranking comes with a few surprises. For instance, despite Lando Norris winning the world championship, he is not the highest earner of 2025.

Leading the list is the championship runner-up, Max Verstappen, who takes home $76 million in salary and bonuses. Right behind him is Lewis Hamilton, totaling $70 million. Interesting detail: with his 156 points, the Ferrari driver ends up having the highest “cost per point” in the entire field — roughly $450,000 per point.

Lando Norris, one of the best F1 drivers in salary-to-points efficiency

As for the world champion, Lando Norris earns $57.5 million. With his 423 points, his performance proves highly profitable, averaging around $135,000 per point. Even more “efficient” is his teammate Oscar Piastri, who with 410 points drops to $91,000 per point, for a total income of $37.5 million in earnings

Further down the list but still among the top earners, Charles Leclerc finishes fifth with $30 million in net salary and no additional performance bonuses.

One of the most interesting names of the year is rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli. The Mercedes newcomer ends his first season with $10.8 million, a result of his 150 points and his contribution to the team’s P2 in the Constructors’ Championship, which earned him a bonus of around $7.5 million. Meanwhile, his teammate George Russell pockets $15 million in base salary plus $11 million in bonuses.

All in all, the 2025 season delivered not only a new world champion, but also a healthy earnings amount of prize money that drivers will enjoy during the winter break. Come February, it all kicks off again: new regulations (you can read our 2025 vs 2026 guide) , car launches, and pre-season testing set the stage for the 2026 season.