Formula One drivers are living lavishly.
With the racing series' popularity booming in recent years, each of the 20 drivers on the grid have seen some extra cash in their pockets. Formula One's appeal in the United States soared due to the popular Netflix docuseries "Drive to Survive," especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a result, 18 of the 20 drivers for 2025 reportedly will earn a salary of $1 million or more. Which drivers make the most money, though? And how do the younger and lower-tier drivers stack up with the perennial race winners and world champions?
Here's a breakdown of F1 driver salaries for the 2025 season (all figures courtesy of RacingNews365, not accounting for bonuses, sponsorships and endorsements):
Who is the highest paid F1 driver in 2025?
The two most decorated active drivers will earn the most money in 2025.
Max Verstappen leads the way for Red Bull Racing at a reported $65 million annual salary in 2025. That figure is well-earned by the 27-year-old Verstappen, who has won four straight world drivers' championships. The Dutch star won has won 53 of 90 races over the last four years, but his nine victories in 2024 were his fewest since 2020.
Lewis Hamilton, with his new team Ferrari, comes in just behind Verstappen at $60 million for 2025. The seven-time world champion won two races last season for Mercedes, his 12th and final season with the Silver Arrows. Now 40 years old, Hamilton has an F1-record 105 career wins and 202 career podiums.
Behind Verstappen and Hamilton, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc ($34 million), Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso ($20 million) and McLaren's Lando Norris ($20 million) are the only other drivers who will make $20 million or more in 2025.
Leclerc, a 27-year-old Monaco native, enters the 2025 season with eight career wins, 43 podiums and 26 poles. Alonso, 43, is the oldest driver on the grid with 32 career wins and two world drivers' championships. The 25-year-old Norris was winless in his first five F1 seasons but had a breakout 2024 campaign with four wins and a world constructors' championship.
Who is the lowest paid F1 driver in 2025?
Four drivers will earn $1 million or less in 2025 -- and they're all making their full-time debuts this season.
Alpine's Jack Doohan and Racing Bulls' Isack Hadjar are tied for the lowest 2025 salary, with the estimation between $500,000 and $1 million.
Doohan made his first start in the 2024 season finale for Alpine, finishing 15th. The 22-year-old Australian enters 2025 as a full-time driver after two seasons as Alpine's reserve driver.
Hadjar, 20, is joins the newly-renamed Racing Bulls team after winning four races in Formula 2 last season. The French driver was the test driver for Racing Bulls and Red Bull in 2023 and the reserve driver for those teams in 2024.
Haas' Oliver Bearman and Red Bull's Liam Lawson will make a reported $1 million each.
Bearman made three starts last season, two with Haas and one with Ferrari, due to injuries and bans. The now-19-year-old's best finish came in his debut for Ferrari, when he was seventh in Saudi Arabia.
Lawson, 23, has been in Red Bull's plans for years -- and now he's finally getting his chance with the big team. He has 11 career starts over the last two seasons with six career points (all with Racing Bulls).
List of F1 driver salaries for 2025
Here are all the salaries for the 20 full-time drivers during the 2025 season (in USD):
| Rank | Name | Team | Reported salary |
| 1. | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | $65 million |
| 2. | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | $60 million |
| 3. | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | $34 million |
| T-4. | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | $20 million |
| T-4. | Lando Norris | McLaren | $20 million |
| 6. | George Russell | Mercedes | $15 million |
| T-7. | Carlos Sainz | Williams | $10 million |
| T-7. | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | $10 million |
| 9. | Alex Albon | Williams | $8 million |
| T-10. | Nico Hülkenberg | Sauber | $7 million |
| T-10. | Esteban Ocon | Haas | $7 million |
| 12. | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | $6 million |
| 13. | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | $3 million |
| T-14. | Yuki Tsunoda | Racing Bulls | $2 million |
| T-14. | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | $2 million |
| T-14. | Gabriel Bortoletto | Sauber | $2 million |
| T-17. | Oliver Bearman | Haas | $1 million |
| T-17. | Liam Lawson | Red Bull | $1 million |
| T-19. | Jack Doohan | Alpine | $500,000 to $1 million |
| T-19. | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | $500,000 to $1 million |
