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Kimi Antonelli is leading the Formula 1 world championship at Mercedes despite being one of the lowest-paid drivers on the grid.
Antonelli signed for Mercedes ahead of the 2025 season after Lewis Hamilton left to join Ferrari. The team didn’t confirm until October last year that he would continue for a second campaign.
Antonelli was worried Mercedes would loan him to Alpine, their engine customers, because of his mid-season collapse. But Toto Wolff kept the faith and has been rewarded with one of the biggest improvements in F1’s recent history.
In 10 years from now, where do you think Kimi Antonelli will rank among F1’s greatest drivers?
Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes salary is just £2.6m per year
It was reported at the time that Mercedes activated an extension clause in Antonelli’s contract, rather than offering him a new deal. That may be why he’s still on a rookie-scale wage.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Antonelli’s base salary is just €3m (£2.6m). With five wins, seven podiums and four poles already, he has likely topped that up with significant bonuses already.
The list of 2026 F1 driver salaries originally had Antonelli on an estimated £9.4m, but it seems his actual earnings are considerably lower.
For reference, the same report suggests that Red Bull’s Max Verstappen is guaranteed €50m (£43m) per year, with Hamilton on €40m (£34m) at Ferrari and Charles Leclerc up to €35m (£30m) after a recent extension.
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Mercedes have paid Antonelli just under £15k per point, around £500k per win and £370k per podium so far, and it’s only the halfway point of the season.
One can expect the 19-year-old to earn an almighty pay rise at some point this year, especially if he wins the world championship. That will improve Mercedes’ chances of keeping him long-term.
Ferrari are reportedly interested in Antonelli but if they can’t offer significantly more money or an equally competitive car, there is limited incentive to join, even for an Italian.
Driver salaries are exempt from the F1 cost cap, so that won’t be a concern for Mercedes when they inevitably sit down for talks with Antonelli.
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