How F1 rivals Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri cost McLaren an extra €2million

fia, mclaren, lando norris, oscar piastri — Photo: © IMAGO

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How Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri cost McLaren an extra €2million

The two champions are victims of their own success

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Monday 5 January 2026 09:12

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The FIA are set to charge Max Verstappen and Lando Norris over €1million to compete in the 2026 F1 championship, while Oscar Piastri's super licence also reaches an eye-watering figure.

Norris became world champion for the first time in 2025, defeating Verstappen by two points, with the four-time champion claiming more grand prix victories (eight) than any other driver.

Piastri was also in the fight and actually led the championship for the majority of the season, but he fell away and finished 13 points behind team-mate Norris in the end.

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All of this success for the three drivers has come at some cost, however. Drivers have to have a super licence at the start of each year to be able to compete in F1, and the standard price for that is €11,842.

However, each driver is also charged €2,392 per championship point they pick up throughout the previous season, meaning drivers are very much a victim of their own success.

For Norris and Verstappen, that means they will be charged over €1million each in order to be able to compete in next season's championship, while Piastri is set to be charged €992,562.

While it is the drivers that are billed, it is normally the teams that will pay these entrance fees, meaning that McLaren's two championship-contending drivers will cost them over €2million in 2026.

Given the amount they are paying them per year in terms of their salaries, this amount should not inconvenience McLaren too much.

As a result of not competing last season, Sergio Perez, Valtteri Bottas and Arvid Lindblad will all be charged the standard amount of €11,842, as will Franco Colapinto, who failed to pick up a single point throughout the 2025 season.

What is an FIA super licence?

To be able to compete in the F1 championship, a driver must have a super licence, which is issued by F1's governing body, the FIA.

The FIA issue different licences for different motorsport competitions, such as endurance or karting, but F1's licence is the top level that can be obtained.

Several factors need to be ticked off for a driver to qualify for a super licence, according to the FIA's International Sporting Code.

This includes being 18 (unless special dispensation is awarded), passing a knowledge theory test, and holding at least 40 super licence points, which are awarded by various FIA racing series around the world.

The drivers are charged entrance fees at the start of each season for their superlicence, however, and this goes towards the FIA governance of the racing series.

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F1 Max Verstappen McLaren FIA Lando Norris Oscar Piastri