Formula 1 drivers can earn a huge living from travelling around the world and racing the fastest race cars ever created. With F1’s rising popularity under Liberty Media’s ownership, the sport has grown significantly in terms of audience and global revenue.
Formula 1 drivers can earn a huge living from travelling around the world and racing the fastest race cars ever created.
With F1’s rising popularity under Liberty Media’s ownership, the sport has grown significantly in terms of audience and global revenue. As a result, driver salaries increase as the values of F1 teams do the same, thanks to sponsorship and success on the track.
The more successful drivers are in the sport, the higher they typically get paid. Take Lewis Hamilton, who reportedly earned over £74 million in his first year with Ferrari, including his base salary and bonuses in his contract.
F1 drivers certainly live the high life, many living in Monaco and owning extravagant clothing and sports cars. But who has the highest net worth on the grid in 2026?
Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso have the highest F1 net worths
It should not come as a surprise to see world champions Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso at the top of the list. Given their success, they dwarf their rivals when it comes to net worth.
However, according to F1 Salaries, it is actually Alonso who has the highest net worth. He is estimated to be worth between $260-$400m, or £297.5m at the highest valuation.
Hamilton is second with an estimated net worth of £186-£223m, while Verstappen completed the top three at £156m. Charles Leclerc is the only other driver to have a net worth in the nine-figure range in dollars, standing at a maximum of 92 million pounds.
Sergio Perez’s huge backing from various sponsors puts him in the top five, while Carlos Sainz and Lance Stroll both have a net worth of $50m, or £37m.
World champion Lando Norris, McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri and Mercedes’ George Russell also rank high on the list. But some names are lagging behind the frontrunners by some distance.
Seven F1 drivers have a net worth of less than £10 million
Every rookie from the past 12 months is not valued at over £10m, which is presumably down to the fact that they have not been in F1 long enough to earn that much.
Of the 2025 rookies, Kimi Antonelli is said to have the highest net worth, with Franco Colapinto not far behind thanks to his various sponsors in Argentina.
Red Bull’s new signing, Isack Hadjar, is valued at under a million pounds, as is his 2025 Racing Bulls teammate Liam Lawson. The Kiwi driver’s 2026 partner, Arvid Lindblad, is the only driver whose net worth is unknown.
READ MORE: What F1 superstar Fernando Alonso said about Xabi Alonso before Real Madrid sacking
Category: General Sports
