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Karun Chandhok has named Kimi Antonelli as the “top dog” on the F1 grid in terms of the “value for money” Mercedes are getting from him compared to his yearly salary.
Given the fact that Kimi Antonelli is one of the youngest drivers on the grid, who is now in his sophomore season of racing in F1, it’s natural for the young Italian not to be in the same pay grade as the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.
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However, the 19-year-old has displayed glimpses of reaching the same heights as his current F1 rivals in the future. Antonelli currently sits at the top of the F1 standings after nine rounds and looks to be more comfortable in Mercedes’ 2026-spec car than his teammate.
The youngster’s current deal will see him earn around €3m (£2.6m) for the 2026 campaign, with a recent report by F1 Oversteer suggesting that Antonelli is now the most underpaid driver on the grid. F1 pundit Karun Chandhok wholeheartedly agrees.
Karun Chandhok names Kimi Antonelli as F1’s ‘top dog’ in terms of ‘value for money’
While Antonelli can still boast his status of being a multi-millionaire on his current salary, his yearly figure is dwarfed by those who have been more successful than him in the past, with Verstappen understood to be the highest-paid driver on the 2026 grid.
Even his Mercedes teammate, George Russell, earns over seven times the amount as Antonelli, with the Briton’s ‘multi-year’ deal at Brackley estimated to be worth somewhere in the region of £19.6m per year.
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During Sky Sports F1’s coverage of FP3 at this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix, Chandhok drew attention to the deficit in financial gain between the two Silver Arrows, highlighting how brilliant Antonelli’s “value for money” is compared to his performances on track.
“I’ll tell you what, Toto Wolff must be thinking about the pennies he banked on Kimi Antonelli as a young teenager,” the former F1 driver said (11:58 18/07). “That is tremendous value for money.
“If you think of the drivers’ salaries across the grid, in terms of value for money, results and points, and the prize money that is being earned by those drivers, Antonelli is absolutely the top dog in terms of value for money.”
On the opposite end of the spectrum lies Fernando Alonso, who is estimated to be earning around £20m per year. While Antonelli’s current points haul of 179 suggests he earns just under £15k per point, Alonso’s tally of just one point paints a very different picture.
- READ MORE: Charles Leclerc would be ‘happy’ if Kimi Antonelli wins the 2026 F1 title given what he sees in him
The length of Antonelli’s current deal at Mercedes remains undisclosed, with some reports suggesting he is locked in at Brackley until 2029, while others note that his seat for 2027 is yet to be confirmed.
If the latter is true, the young Italian will no doubt be rewarded with a more lucrative deal from next year, even more so if he is successful in securing a maiden world title once the chequered flag falls at the season-closing Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December.
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