Online Reporter
LANDO NORRIS has just the eighth-highest net worth in F1 – despite being world champion.
The 26-year-old won his first world title on Sunday after finishing third in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
He took gold in the championship by finishing two points ahead of Max Verstappen and 13 ahead of team-mate Oscar Piastri on the final day.
As a result, he became just the 11th British driver in history to be crowned a Formula One world champion.
But despite his new status as king of the grid, Norris earns nowhere near as much as some of his rivals – at the moment, at least.
And his net worth puts him in the middle of rankings – although it did allow him to cover a huge bar bill after his victory party.
SunSport has looked at some of the richest drivers in the sport, with one man estimated to be worth over £300million.
George Russell – £12.4m
Russell became the leading driver at Mercedes following the departure of Lewis Hamilton at the start of the year.
And this year his salary was increased to reflect that, with the Brit now earning a reported £30m-a-year.
The 27-year-old finished the season fourth in the driver standings with 319 points.
Esteban Ocon – £16.2m
Although his salary is small compared to some of his F1 rivals, Ocon has made the most of his nine years on the grid by forming partnerships with the likes of Bell & Ross and Microsoft.
He reportedly earns around £5m-a-year with Haas.
Lando Norris – £23.2m
New world champion Norris earns just £15m-a-season at McLaren – but given his new status as world No1, he could be awarded with a pay rise.
The Papaya team will be determined to keep him for as long as possible in the hope of winning more titles.
Norris penned an extended multi-year deal with McLaren last year, so he is tied to them for the foreseeable future.
And if any team wants to attempt to lure him away, it will likely cost a huge fee.
Pierre Gasly – £25.5m
Gasly signed a contract extension with Alpine this year, keeping him at the team until the end of 2028.
The team said in a statement: “The deal reaffirms Pierre’s commitment to Alpine and cements Alpine’s belief in Pierre as the driver to lead the team into the new regulation era in 2026 and beyond, under the leadership of Flavio Briatore and with the full backing of Renault Group led by the new CEO Francois Provost.”
He reportedly earns £8m-a-year and finished 18th in the 2025 standings.
The Frenchman also has brand partnerships with the likes of Givenchy and SonicLabs.
Carlos Sainz – £38.7m
Sainz left Ferrari to make way for Hamilton earlier this year and now races for Williams.
He is understood to be contracted to the team until the end of next season.
The Spaniard finished 2025 ninth in the standings with 64 points.
He is understood to make £7.5m-a-year with his new team.
Lance Stroll – £38.7m
Stroll is the son of billionaire businessman and Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll.
Although he owns a significantly lower salary compared to his rivals, the 27-year-old’s family empire means he will potentially inherit millions.
He also has some brand partnerships, notably with BOSS.
Charles Leclerc – £38.7m
Monegasque star Leclerc takes home just over £25m-a-season with Ferrari, having joined the team in 2019.
He enjoyed a slightly better season than team-mate Hamilton this year, finishing with a total of 242 points.
Leclerc signed a five-year contract extension with the Italian team in early 2024, keeping him there until 2029.
Although he is yet to win a world title, the 28-year-old is still considered one of the best in the world.
Max Verstappen – £168m
A four-time world champion with Red Bull, Verstappen is the highest earner on the F1 grid, taking home £65m-a-year.
The Dutchman, 28, came agonisingly close to matching the record set by Michael Schumacher of five consecutive world titles at the weekend after finishing two points behind Norris.
Verstappen signed a bumper five-year contract extension with Red Bull in 2022, keeping him tied to the team until the end of 2028 at the earliest.
Despite being heavily linked with a move away from the team this year during a turbulent period in the summer, he now looks set to stay.
Fernando Alonso – £200m
Alonso is rightfully one of the highest earners in F1 given his experience.
The Spaniard takes home £15m-a-year with Aston Martin as the team’s lead driver.
He finished 10th in the standings this year with 56 points but has managed some good results.
And at 44 years old, he remains the oldest on the grid.
Lewis Hamilton – £350m
The seven-time world champion’s debut season with Ferrari has been one to forget.
Hamilton finished the year sixth in the driver standings with just 156 points.
But he remains the second-highest paid man on the grid due to his legendary status, which also means he has brand partnerships with the likes of Lululemon, Tommy Hilfiger and Puma – Sun.
