Sports
How Much Every F1 Driver Must Pay to Enter 2026 Season
The 2025 Formula 1 Championship has finally come to an end. After an exhilarating season which left three drivers with a chance of ultimate glory in Abu Dhabi, Lando Norris got the third-place finish he required to be crowned the F1 champion.
Strangely enough, Norris’ maiden title culminates in him having to pay more for his 2026 seat on the grid. F1 drivers require a specially issued FIA Super License in order to race. This licence became mandatory for top-tier drivers from 2015, and it means they are adequately qualified to drive such machines.
What is a Super Licence? There are certain requirements that drivers must fulfill in order to receive such paperwork. Foremost, they need an FIA International Grade A competition license, they then need to pass a knowledge test as well as complete at least 80% of two separate qualifying seasons in single-seater championships and gain upwards of 40 points in the previous three seasons in feeder series, including F2, F3, and IndyCar.
Such a licence comes at a price. According to PlanetF1.com, drivers pay a basic fee of €11,842 plus €2,392 for every point won the previous season. Meaning success comes at a cost.
So how much will each driver have to pay in order to participate in the 2026 Formula 1 Championship?
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How much every F1 driver will have to pay to enter 2026 season (22-11) |
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|---|---|---|
|
Position |
Driver |
Fee |
|
T19. |
Arvid Lindblad |
€11,842 |
|
T19. |
Franco Colapinto |
€11,842 |
|
T19. |
Valtteri Bottas |
€11,842 |
|
T19. |
Sergio Perez |
€11,842 |
|
18. |
Gabriel Bortoleto |
€57,284 |
|
17. |
Pierre Gasly |
€64,459 |
|
16. |
Lance Stroll |
€88,375 |
|
15. |
Liam Lawson |
€102,725 |
|
14. |
Esteban Ocon |
€102,725 |
|
13. |
Oliver Bearman |
€114,683 |
|
12. |
Nico Hulkenberg |
€131,425 |
|
11. |
Isack Hadjar |
€133,834 |
10
Fernando Alonso
€145,774
The evergreen Fernando Alonso is still performing well at the age of 44. He has been hugely outperforming his teammate over the last two seasons, even outqualifying Lance Stroll in the last 40 races. The Spaniard may not have the car to compete at the top of the table, but he is a constant menace and often finishes in the points.
The former two-time winner of the Drivers’ Championship gained 56 points in the 2025 season, which equates to a total of €145,774 to renew his FIA Super Licence for the upcoming season. Which, even in his mid-40s, looks inevitable.
9
Carlos Sainz Jr
€164,907
After joining Williams before the 2025 campaign, Carlos Sainz struggled to get to grips with the FW47 car. However, after the mid-season break, the Spaniard showed his class and even claimed two podium finishes in Baku and Qatar. Alongside teammate Alex Albon, they will be looking to push Williams to the next level in the 2026 season.
Sainz finished the year with 64 points, which helped him to a ninth-place finish. The former Ferrari and McLaren driver will be paying €164,907 next year for his Super Licence, slightly less than his teammate will have to pay.
8
Alex Albon
€186,432
Alex Albon started the 2025 season on fire, with seven points finishes in the first eight races. Although the second half of the season was disappointing, and he was bettered by his Williams teammate, the Thai driver still showed enough in an improving team to have high hopes for next season.
Albon’s 73 points helped Williams to a fifth-place finish in the Constructors’ Championship, but that does mean he will have to pay €186,432 to renew his Super Licence.
7
Kimi Antonelli
€370,589
Kimi Antonelli came onto the Formula 1 grid with high expectations, and he showed flashes of his ability, especially in the Sprint Races. The 19-year-old had the Sprint pole in Miami, and performed brilliantly in the Sao Paulo Sprint too. To finish seventh in his rookie season is an impressive achievement and the future certainly looks bright for the Italian.
Antonelli’s 150 points in his debut season means he will be paying €370,589 in the new year for his FIA Super Licence. But this fee will only go up if the young Mercedes driver follows the trajectory people expect of him.
6
Lewis Hamilton
€384,939
Lewis Hamilton joined Ferrari before the 2025 season and, for most of the time, it has been a difficult period for the seven-time world champion. The Brit seemed to struggle with his new machine and often vented his frustrations. He was knocked out of the first phase of qualifying on four separate occasions. The former McLaren and Mercedes driver will be hoping for a better showing next season, and hopefully, he has a better understanding of the car.
Hamilton finished in a lowly sixth position in the Drivers’ Championship, by his standards at least, with 156 points. This means he will be paying €384,939 for his new FIA Super Licence.
5
Charles Leclerc
€590,620
After being Max Verstappen‘s closest rival in previous campaigns, Charles Leclerc may be a little disappointed with a fifth-place finish in the 2025 season. But seven podium finishes in a disappointing car still highlights the Monégasque’s class behind the wheel. He easily outperformed his new teammate and firmly remains Ferrari’s best chance of a first Drivers’ Championship since 2007.
Leclerc finished the season with a respectable 242 points, and at €2,392 a point, this means the 28-year-old will be paying €590,620 for his FIA Super Licence.
4
George Russell
€774,776
A fourth-place finish for George Russell in a competitive campaign was a good showing. Russell even managed to pick up wins at the Singapore and Canada Grand Prix too. For most of the season, the Brit battled well and, despite a couple of disappointing showings in which rookie teammate Kimi Antonelli got the better of him, this should go down as a positive campaign for the Mercedes number one driver.
George Russell finished the season with 319 points, and finished fourth in the Drivers’ Championship. This total means he will be paying €774,776 for his FIA Super Licence, but after signing his new contract in October this year, which saw him become the seventh highest-paid driver in 2025, it shouldn’t make too much of a dent in his finances.
3
Oscar Piastri
€992,416
Oscar Piastri will be both disappointed and proud of his performance this season. He looked relaxed through the first half of the season, showing composure which belied his three seasons of experience. He led his teammate for most of the season, but after an eventful showing at Baku, the wheels didn’t come off completely, but things became difficult for the Australian driver. However, he was still in with a chance of winning the Drivers’ Championship in Abu Dhabi.
But this was still an impressive campaign by the McLaren driver, and he will be looking to step up to the next level next season. But in order to do so, he will be paying €992,416 for the opportunity. His impressive 2025 points total of 410 means a huge sum, just shy of €1,000,000, will have to be paid.
2
Max Verstappen
€1,018,724
Max Verstappen really showed his ability in a second-place finish. Looking at how his teammates fared this season, with both Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda struggling, the fact that the Dutchman managed to stay so competitive in a poor RB21 car shows why he is still seen as the best driver on the grid. Verstappen finished the season with the most wins, the most pole positions, and most laps led in the Championship.
The four-time F1 champion is another member of the €1,000,000 club after accumulating 421 points. In order to try and regain his title, he will have to pay €1,018,724 for the privilege.
1
Lando Norris
€1,023,507
The newly-crowned Formula 1 champion ended up winning the title by just two points in an up-and-down season which saw him drop 34 points behind teammate Oscar Piastri at the end of the Dutch Grand Prix in August. The Brit showed resilience to hold off an almighty late surge from former champ, Max Verstappen, but he did what was required in the last race of the year to finally get his hands on the Drivers’ Championship.
Winning the title and gaining the most points does mean Norris will be paying a premium on his FIA Super Licence for the 2026 season. His 423 points at €2,392 a point on top of the basic fee of €11,842 means he will fork out a whopping €1,023,507 just for the chance to defend his title.
Cristiano Ronaldo is taking part in what is expected to be his final World Cup in 2026, but his son could continue his legacy from 2030 onwards if he continues on his current trajectory.
Recently turned 16, Cristiano Junior has trained in the youth academies of Manchester United, Juventus and Al-Nassr. He’s also represented Portugal at Under-15 and Under-16 level.
If he continues on that path, he’ll take over from his father, provided the teenager is deemed good enough to play for the senior team eventually. He has already overtaken his 6’2″ dad in height and has scored a huge number of goals in his youth career.
A tug-of-war could break out soon enough as Cristiano Jr could technically ply his trade for five different countries. But who are they and what is the link to Ronaldo’s son?
Ronaldo Jr Has 5 World Cup Nations to Choose From
Portugal
The most obvious nation the youngster could choose to represent is that of his father. Ronaldo Jr wasn’t born in his dad’s homeland, but looks most likely to choose the 2026 World Cup favourites as his international team.
United States of America
The young forward was born in La Mesa, California. That means he could be donning the colours of the USMNT for the next World Cup. They have been one of the surprise packages of this year’s competition so far, but this would be an incredible coup to snap up the child of one of football’s greats.
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Spain
Under Spanish law, Ronaldo Jr could apply for citizenship and become a member of Luis de la Fuente’s European champions. This is because he spent more than three years living in the country while his dad was playing for Real Madrid.
England
If he keeps improving and scoring goals, there’s every chance the English Football Association will throw an interested glance in the 16-year-old’s direction. Having a Ronaldo turning out for England would be incredible to see. Again, he could become a British citizen due to the time his father spent at Manchester United.
Cape Verde
The least likely of his future international teams is Cape Verde. That’s if he takes footballing reasons into account. The African minnows have qualified for their second-ever World Cup in 2026, but can’t compete with the four other powerhouses Ronaldo Jr can pick from. However, he is entitled to play for them through his biological grandmother, Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro.
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Liverpool believe that Yan Diomande is now keen to join the club, according to TeamTalk, which is the reason behind their latest push to sign the winger this summer.
The 19-year-old has taken the world by storm in recent months, with his move from Leganes to RB Leipzig placing him on the Bundesliga stage.
While he had drawn interest, all eyes have been on the forward at the World Cup, where he has performed well for the Ivory Coast in the early phases of the competition so far.
As focus persists on Diomande, Liverpool have made an offer that was firmly rejected by RB Leipzig, but the plan seems to be that another bid is on the way.
Yan Diomande Wants Liverpool Move
According to the report from TeamTalk, Liverpool are growing in optimism that Diomande is keen on joining the club this summer, which is behind their recent push to land the forward.
It comes as Paris Saint-Germain have also been linked with the star, who has openly admitted that he would like to compete in Ligue Un if given the chance.
While that seemed to hand the Champions League holders the advantage, the report from TeamTalk suggests that Liverpool believe a deal could now get done.
The Reds have spent a considerable amount of time with the player’s representatives discussing a possible deal, and have recently given an in-depth look of where they see his future in the team.
That is claimed to have excited Diomande, who is a key target as part of the new era under Andoni Iraola. Personal terms are thought not to be an issue, with the largest remaining obstacle being the club-to-club talks over a fee.
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Liverpool Need To Seal Deal Quickly
Diomande is quite clearly an unbelievable talent, who has been described as “unstoppable” on his day, with his rapid ascent showing his quality.
Given his World Cup performances, and the interest from elsewhere, it’s clear that Liverpool need to get a deal done quickly while they’re ahead of others in the negotiating stage.
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Liverpool have entered the race to land a midfielder this summer, and will be joined by some rivals in the hunt for his signature.
PSG are also in the hunt and any deal could help free up Bradley Barcola for a move, as he has been linked with a potential switch to Anfield this summer.
However, Diomande remains priority number one for good reason, and the fee shouldn’t be prohibitive of landing an important star for the future.
Arsenal are ramping up their efforts to sign some key transfer targets this summer, as the Daily Mail gives an update on one potential signing.
It comes as the Gunners are looking to take the squad forward another step, having recently secured their first Premier League title in 22 years.
Mikel Arteta is sticking around and hoping to make that a regular occurrence at the Emirates Stadium, with a squad already built to challenge again next season.
Some new arrivals could see the team evolve even further, with talks underway to sign Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge as a squad option.
Then there’s the interest in Morgan Rogers, which appears to be heating up.
Arsenal Ready Morgan Rogers Move
Arsenal’s interest in Aston Villa star Rogers is well-known at this point, with the England international viewed as a key target for the Gunners, as well as their rivals Chelsea.
As the Europa League winners need to sell this summer, the playmaker is viewed as an ideal option to poach, but the Daily Mail reports that any deal could cost upwards of £85 million.
Despite that, the report claims that Arsenal are willing to step up their interest in Rogers, while their players are helping with a charm offensive to convince him that it is the right move to make.
It’s stated that his England teammates, most namely Declan Rice, are attempting to convince the 23-year-old that he could be an ideal addition to the squad.
It remains to be seen whether that will work, but it could ultimately get a deal over the line for a player who could add an extra dimension to the team.
Rogers has been described as a “superstar”, and for good reason, after an impressive campaign with Aston Villa. His skillset may be the difference between Arsenal retaining the title or missing out.
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Who Else Are Arsenal Targeting?
Arsenal have their sights set on Rogers, but there are other players that appear to be targeted for a potential move over the coming weeks of the summer transfer window.
Beyond Tzolis, the Daily Mail reports that Julian Alvarez is still admired, even though Atletico Madrid have set a firm stance against selling the striker this summer.
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Arsenal are seemingly in the market for a striker again, with a Premier League star in their sights.
In the midfield, Alex Scott is viewed as a possible addition from Bournemouth, though the Cherries are trying to get the star tied down to a new contract that could include a release clause.
All of them could be quality additions, but some sales could be required before the Gunners get to work on making some signings.
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