F1 Driver Salaries 2026: The INSANE pay gap between Max Verstappen and Kimi Antonelli

Max Verstappen's record-setting new contact didn't just cement his position as the best paid driver in F1, it also increased one of the most insane pay gaps in professional sports.

Last Thursday morning Red Bull and Verstappen announced that they had sealed the deal on an extension which should see the Dutchman stay put until at least 2030.

The new pact of course includes some record-setting numbers, with the four-time world champion now (per F1 insider Marc Limacher) earning a base salary of 92million Euros per season ($107million).

Verstappen's salary could rise to as much as 115million Euros per year ($134million), meaning the total value of that new four-year pact should exceed $500million.

Those eye-popping new numbers not only take him further clear of nearest rival Lewis Hamilton ($60million annual salary) in F1's pay stakes, they also grow the yawning chasm to the sport's newest superstar Kimi Antonelli.

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Verstappen vs Antonelli, a pay grade mismatch

While Verstappen's base salary is now at a massive $107million, the 19-year-old Antonelli earns just $2million. How is that possible when the brilliant young Italian has won six races in his sophomore season and leads the Drivers' standings?

The answer is simple for a number of key reasons:

• Max has been in the sport for more than a decade
• He has proved his brilliance with four world titles
• His exit clause at Red Bull was active, he could have moved for 2027
• Red Bull were desperate to keep the star of their project
• Antonelli meanwhile is still on his 'rookie contract'
• He's coming off a first season which had the jury still out

As ever in life, relationships change over time and the balance of power within them changes. This exactly explains the dynamic in play when you look at the salaries of Verstappen and Antonelli.

Verstappen has paid his dues, proved himself over a long period and can now control his own destiny. He has leverage and power in his relationship with Red Bull.

Antonelli meanwhile is still finding his way and proving himself, effectively paying back Mercedes for the golden opportunity they presented to him, a route into F1.

The dynamic between Kimi and the Silver Arrows will also change should he continue to mark himself down as a great of the future. He WILL get paid, and soon. If not by Mercedes then by somebody else.

Timing in life is everything, but if Ferrari happen to be in the market when it's contract time, imagine an Italian F1 champion moving to Maranello to drive in red.

Antonelli could very well be the next big contract drama in the sport with Mercedes and Ferrari fighting for his signature on a contract which would move him much much closer to Verstappen at the top of the pay scale.

F1 driver salaries in 2026 - the full and updated list

The full list of driver salaries, including those big-money extensions for Verstappen and for Carlos Sainz at Williams, looks like this:

Do F1 driver salaries count against the sport's cost cap?

Important point here - driver salaries DO NOT count against the $215million cost cap every team operates under in 2026.

Driver salaries, plus the top three salaries in the team and some other areas sit outside the cap. This means teams can try to hire the best drivers without impacting their ability to develop a winning car.

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Written by

Graham Shaw - Consultant Editor

Digital sports leader with 30 years of senior level experience running global brands. Built sportinglife.com to be a behemoth in the UK as well as being in charge of the Planet Sport network of sites including planetf1.com, football365.com, teamtalk.com and planetrugby.com. Then grew goal.com to be the world's biggest soccer website in 18 languages and 37 territories. Was GM of Portals for Perform Group (now DAZN) with overall responsibility for sportingnews.com, spox.de and voetbalzone.nl.

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