Heavy lies the head that wears the crown. And in the case of Red Bull Racing’s two-time world champion, Max Verstappen, “heavy” also describes his FIA Super Licence cost for 2023.
The standard fee for the mandatory permit every Formula 1 driver must retain in order to race is €10,400 ($16,175) plus another €2,100 ($3, 265) for every point scored in the previous season. Pretty reasonable… right?
Considering Verstappen secured his second world title last year with 15 race wins and a grand total of 454 championship points – the most ever scored in a single season; shattering Sir Lewis Hamilton’s previously historic tally of 413 – the once-in-a-generation Dutch motorsport talent now has to cough up a record €963,800 ($1.5 million).
“I think the amount is absurd. I don’t think it’s right that we have to pay so much,” said Max Verstappen (via Planet F1).
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“That’s not the case in other sports either. And there are more and more races.”
You’d think a casual million would mean nothing to a professional athlete currently earning approximately $75 million AUD per season on the track alone (and will continue to do so right through to 2028). But given Max Verstappen himself won’t be the one to pay for his FIA Super Licence – his contract dictates Red Bull Racing is the one that foots the bill – I suppose it’s purely a matter of principle. Name another sport that financially penalises top-tier performance.
“I’m afraid we have to pay that, if I have our contract right in my head,” stated longtime Red Bull Racing team advisor and driver development program boss Helmut Marko.
Check out what every driver on the the grid owes for the privilege of being amongst motorsports’ elite in 2023.
FIA Super Licence Costs (2023 Season)
- Max Verstappen (454 points) – €963,800
- Charles Leclerc (308 points) – €657,200
- Sergio Perez (305 points) – €650,900
- George Russell (275 points) – €587,900
- Carlos Sainz (246 points) – €527,000
- Lewis Hamilton (240 points) – €514,400
- Lando Norris (122 points) – €266,600
- Esteban Ocon (92 points) – €203,600
- Fernando Alonso (81 points) – €180,500
- Valtteri Bottas (49 points) – €113,300
- Kevin Magnussen (25 points) – €62,900
- Pierre Gasly (23 points) €58,700
- Lance Stroll (18 points) – €48,200
- Yuki Tsunoda (12 points) – €35,600
- Zhou Guanyu (6 points) – €23,000
- Alex Albon (4 points) – €18,800
- Nyck de Vries (2 points) – €14,600
- Nico Hulkenberg, Oscar Piastri, Logan Sargeant (0 points) – €10,400
