Every 2024 F1 driver’s FIA superlicence cost as Max Verstappen pays record fee

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Success comes at a cost for Max Verstappen as the Red Bull star faces a record fee for a superlicence, so here is how much every Formula 1 driver must pay the FIA in 2024.

Drivers must purchase a new superlicence from the FIA for every season they plan to race in Formula 1. But the cost of a licence varies depending on a driver’s success over the previous year. And Verstappen produced the most dominant season in F1 history for Red Bull in 2023.

Even Mercedes hero Lewis Hamilton believed Verstappen was ‘faultless’ en route to a third-straight drivers’ championship. He won 19 of the 22 Grand Prix to move third in the all-time charts. His win 86.3% percentage was also a record along with leading 1,003 laps in a year.

How much does an F1 superlicence cost from the FIA?

Verstappen even set a new record for winning 10 Grand Prix on the spin and for claiming the most points in a Formula 1 season. The 26-year-old shattered his own record of 454 in 2022 with 575 points. He also won the Sprint at four races and had the fastest race lap nine times.

Now, that success will come at a cost when Verstappen buys the Red Bull star’s superlicence for the 2024 season. The FIA charges F1 drivers a base figure of €10.4k (£9k) but adds on an additional €2.1k (£1.8k) for every point that driver scored during their previous season in F1.

So, for Verstappen, he faces a record bill for an FIA superlicence – despite saying in February that the figures F1 drivers faced were already ‘absurd’. Yet luckily for the Dutchman, Red Bull pay the cost of the superlicence due to a clause in the 26-year-old’s contract with the team.

What is a superlicence and how do you get one?

Formula 1 drivers must apply to the sport’s governing body, the FIA, to get a superlicence in order to race in the pinnacle of motorsport. It is a mandatory requirement that stipulates if a driver is suited for racing in the series. It is also the highest level of licences in motorsport.

The FIA introduced the superlicence for Formula 1 during the 1990s and requires a driver to earn sufficient criteria points through their previous seasons. Drivers must also hold a valid road driving licence, be 18 or over when they will first race in F1 and pass an FIA theory test.

Verstappen sparked the introduction of the age criteria in 2015 when he debuted with Toro Rosso aged 17 years and 166 days. Red Bull expedited his rise through the junior formulae to drive for their sister team having only raced in European F3 and the Florida Winter Series.

How much will the 2024 F1 drivers pay for a superlicence?

Given the dominant season Verstappen enjoyed in 2023, the FIA will now charge him a new record sum for the Red Bull driver’s superlicence for the 2024 F1 season. His 575 points will yield a €1,207,500 (£1.04m) charge above the €10.4k (£9k) base rate, per Motorsport.com.

So, altogether, Red Bull will pay the FIA €1,217,900 (£1.05m) for Verstappen’s superlicence, becoming the first F1 driver to be charged over €1m (£860k). And here is a full list of how much the 20 Formula 1 drivers set to contest the 2024 season will have to pay for there’s:

Driver’s name (2023 F1 points) – 2024 Superlicence Cost
Max Verstappen (575) – €1,217,900 (£1,047,825)
Sergio Perez (285) – €608,900 (£524,003)
Lewis Hamilton (234) – €501,800 (£431,835)
Fernando Alonso (206) – €443,000 (£381,233)
Charles Leclerc (206) – €443,000 (£381,233)
Lando Norris (205) – €440,900 (£379,462)
Carlos Sainz (200) – €430,400 (£370,425)
George Russell (175) – €377,900 (£325,241)
Oscar Piastri (97) – €214,100 (£184,266)
Lance Stroll (74) – €165,800 (£142,696)
Pierre Gasly (62) – €140,600 (£121,008)
Esteban Ocon (58) – €132,200 (£113,815)
Alex Albon (27) – €67,100 (£57,768)
Yuki Tsunoda (17) – €46,100 (£39,689)
Valtteri Bottas (10) – €31,400 (£27,033)
Nico Hulkenberg (9) – €29,300 (£25,225)
Daniel Ricciardo (6) – €23,000 (£19,801)
Zhou Guanyu (6) – €23,000 (£19,801)
Kevin Magnussen (3) – €16,700 (£14,374)
Logan Sargeant (1) – €12,500 (£10,759)