The annual list of Formula 1 salaries has again been published, and Fernando Alonso is now comfortably top following his move to McLaren-Honda. The information - complied by Business Book GP and reported by Spanish newspaper El Mundo Deportivo - alleges the double F1 world champion is on 35 million a year - 13m extra a season after inking a deal to return to Woking at the end of 2014. Sebastian Vettel has also got a raise after his move from Red Bull to replace Alonso at Ferrari, up from 22 million to 28m, but still 7m short of his predecessor. Lewis Hamilton is third on 25 million, although as he is still on his old contract that figure should increase dramatically next season, increasing to over 45 million per season, if figures quoted by the media after he signed his new three-year deal with Mercedes are to be believed. Kimi Raikkonen is fourth, estimated to be on 18 million, despite his less than spectacular performances with the Scuderia, while Nico Rosberg, Hamilton's Mercedes team-mate and chief championship rival comes in fifth, netting 13.5 million. Jenson Button had to settle for 10 million to retain his seat with McLaren down from 16 million in 2014 while Williams' Felipe Massa, Force India duo Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez and Lotus duo Romain Grosjean and Pastor Maldonado all earn 4 million, it is claimed. Williams' Valtteri Bottas and Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo both remain on relatively paltry salaries given how highly they are rated - at 2 million and 1.5 million respectively, the latter earning double that of his new team-mate, Daniil Kvyat. Toro Rosso F1 rookies Max Verstappen and Carlo Sainz both take home 250,000 - 50,000 more than Sauber's Felipe Nasr and Marcus Ericsson. Will Stevens gets 150,000 from Manor and Roberto Merhi just 50,000, apparently to cover expenses. The full breakdown is below... Drivers: 1. Fernando Alonso McLaren-Honda 35m 2. Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 28m 3. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 25m 4. Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 18m 5. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 13.5m 6. Jenson Button McLaren-Honda 10m 7. Felipe Massa Williams 4m = Nico Hulkenberg Force India F1 4m = Sergio Perez Force India F1 4m = Romain Grosjean Lotus F1 Team 4m = Pastor Maldonado Lotus F1 Team 4m 12. Valtteri Bottas Williams 2m 13. Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull Racing 1.5m 14. Daniil Kvyat Red Bull Racing 750,000 15. Max Verstappen Scuderia Toro Rosso 250,000 = Carlos Sainz Scuderia Toro Rosso 250,000 17. Felipe Nasr Sauber 200,000 = Marcus Ericsson Sauber 200,000 19. Will Stevens Manor 150,000 20. Roberto Merhi Manor 50,000 What the F1 teams spend on drivers in 2015: 1. Ferrari 46m 2. McLaren-Honda 45m 3. Mercedes 38.5m 4. Force India 8m = Lotus F1 team 8m 6. Williams 6m 7. Red Bull Racing 2.25m 8. Scuderia Toro Rosso 500,000 9. Sauber 400,000 10. Manor 200,000
Red Bull doesn't seem to pay that well. Surely, Ricciardo who won 3 GPs for them last year deserves more.
One shouldn't look only at present form; both Alonso and Button are world champ. Massa and Bottas are not.
Maybe, but this has nothing to do with them; it's the car that isn't performing ! They have proven themselves in the past, and would probably be right there at the front if they had a decent car.
They are all way over paid. - Ferrari is spending $60M on drivers? .... insane. and the teams compain it cost so much to go racing. I love F-1 about as much as is possible, but these wages are simply staggeringly too high. and this is just the drivers - no mention on what team managers, engineers, designers etc.. are getting paid. I think the most Senna and Prost ever made in a year was $20M - with Full endorsments. Schumacher was at the $35M on salary... which was insane as well!
Tom, You have got all the World Champion's salaries on the following page, since 1976, in period money. It's in french but I know you understand it (and at least William too...) but it is actually not necessary to read french, as the figures are international. I have no means of appreciating if these figures are serious or not (but I have my doubts about the $ 52 millions for Kimi in 2007, and even about the $ 18 millions for Hamilton in 2008): F1: Raikkonen et les salaires des champions du monde depuis 1976 ! ? EXCLU | Sportune Note Keke Rosberg in 1982: 48.000 $...money well invested by Sir Frank... Rgds
It was also a great decision for Keke to go from Fittipaldi to Wiliams. Despite the meager retainer, Keke made over $3M in endorsements after winning the WDC in 1982. I forwarded the 2015 salary info to my son, who is close friends with both Nico and Marcus. His reply was: "As opposed to Nico, that's why Marcus always wants to split the check at dinner." Pretty funny!
Why call them over paid? The market is the market. If I had $100mm in the bank, I'm not sure I'd do an F1 season for $20mm. Sure, F1 is remarkably safe (on a relative basis) these days, but I wouldn't take those sorts of risks for whatever that marginal money buys me. They are paid what they are paid.
Yep. No good being "upset" (jealous?) or saying "it's ridiculous". It is what it is. Putting it in perspective, at least as much as these telephone #'s can be in perspective, here's the latest Forbes list of the highest paid athletes; The World's Highest-Paid Athletes List - Forbes Note Hammy shows as the highest paid driver overall at #15. Cheers, Ian
Of course, that makes sense... But you could also argue that some teams, which are ever complaining about development costing too much, etc...are making a bad use of the money available. Why was it necessary for Mercedes - for instance - to pay Lewis (or anybody else) about 100 millions for three years if they could have had - theoretically - a guy like Daniel Ricciardo for ten times less? He is surely not "ten times" less as good, and the car is so good that it would probably not have made much difference... Sometimes I'm wondering if those team managers from the top teams are really good at negociation; tales from Enzo Ferrari in the past comes to mind... Well, I have to say that Dietrich Mateschitz and Helmut Marko are good at minimising the cost of the "driver's pay" line, yes... Rgds
They might get Red Bull for free...If they like that stuff it might be a big difference getting them for free looking at the price of one can...
Redbull take the prize for best driver investment return. Fantastic. McLaren get the wooden spoon again. Man, they can't do anything right at the moment. Kimi - no need to comment... They should cap driver salaries and let them earn the rest through sponsors. These fees at the top end are completely insane.
4 mil for Pastor!!!! i guess they added the salaries from Maldonado, the Rev, Crashtor, Loldonado and Maldonado!!!!
This is my point. The teams "cant afford to keep up the cost structures of current F-1" - well stop paying all this money. I'm not jealous per se... Who would not want to be an F-1 driver!!! ... but to make this money AND state that F-1 has to change because it's costing too much???? really??? ... anyone home listening to what they are saying?
This is salary, not what they get paid. RBR likely has performance bonuses, money per point earned, bonus for race win, etc.
Mercedes isn't complaining. Mercedes is endorsing Hamilton as a face of the brand. Similar to a golfer wearing a Nike hat, etc. Danica Patrick has floated a rich career as a "race driver" despite wasting some of the best equipment in the field with lap down finishes race after race. Sponsors see marketing value, and pay for it. Team sees $$$'s, and puts up with it.
