As a result of his woeful 2022 campaign, Lewis Hamilton is set to pay almost half of Max Verstappen’s entry fee for 2023, with a driver’s entry fee being calculated based on the points they scored in the previous season.
2022 was a challenging year for Hamilton and for Mercedes, with the seven-time World Champion having failed to claim either a pole position or a victory, marking the first time in his F1 career where he has gone an entire year without either.
This has had an instrumental effect on how much he’s having to pay to race in the championship this year, with a driver’s entry fee being calculated by the FIA.
The FIA use their superlicence rules to calculate a competitor’s F1 entry fee, using the formula of €10,400, plus €2,100 for every point scored in the season just gone.
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Hamilton only scored 240 points in 2022 and had to settle for sixth in the Drivers’ Championship, meaning his team-mate, George Russell, is having to pay more for next season.
Given that Hamilton scored 214 points less than his 2021 rival, it shouldn’t come as a shock that Verstappen’s entry fee for 2023 is almost double Hamilton’s; however, according to Verstappen’s contract, Red Bull will pay his entry fee for him!
Verstappen accumulated a record-breaking 454 points last season on his way to a second consecutive Drivers’ Championship, something which shouldn’t come as a shock considering that he won 15 races.
As well as breaking the records for most points scored and most wins claimed in a single season, the 25-year-old has also broken the record for the highest entry fee under the current superlicence rules, highlighting that domination comes at a cost!
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Even if Verstappen had to pay the fee himself, it wouldn’t hurt is bank account too much, considering that the Dutchman made $60 million last season, before tax.
Whilst Verstappen is being forced to pay almost €1 million to enter the championship next season, rookies Oscar Piastri and Logan Sargeant will only have the pay the base figure, as will the returning Nico Hulkenberg, who hasn’t competed in the sport since 2019.
Interestingly, Nyck de Vries will be paying €14,600 to enter F1 next season despite being a rookie, with the Dutchman having scored two points when he replaced Alex Albon at the Italian Grand Prix.