Why Max Verstappen might be ‘losing’ £840k every race at Red Bull right now

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Max Verstappen remains firmly on course to win the 2024 drivers’ championship. Despite Red Bull’s recent regression, he still holds a commanding advantage.

Verstappen hasn’t won any of the last seven races. In that period, he’s only finished on the podium twice.

And yet, he remains 59 points ahead of nearest challenger Lando Norris in the standings. With seven races and three Sprints remaining, the McLaren driver will have to gain an average of just under six points per event.

Even during Verstappen’s unforeseen barren run, Norris has only trimmed the deficit by 10 points. He hasn’t made the most of his opportunity to pressurise the reigning champion.

Equally, the Red Bull superstar has consistently extracted the maximum from his car. He’s scored double-figure points in all but two of the races he’s finished in 2024.

Baku was an off-weekend for a driver who’s usually robotic. He lost out to Sergio Perez in qualifying for the first time since Miami last year, and was on course to finish seventh before his teammate collided with Carlos Sainz on the penultimate lap.

The contract clause that sees Max Verstappen miss out on millions at Red Bull

Verstappen is reportedly the highest-paid driver on the F1 grid. According to Spotrac, he earns a staggering £850k-a-week at Red Bull under a contract that runs until the end of 2028.

Lewis Hamilton, second place on that list, earns a fraction under £700k. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc comes in third at £525k.

That figure doesn’t tell the full story, because drivers tend to negotiate bonuses for certain achievements. And Sky Germany’s Ralf Schumacher has learned that Verstappen nets an extra €1m – or £840k – for every race victory.

The problem is, he hasn’t stood on the top step of the podium since June. With Red Bull now struggling, based on the standards they’ve set, he’s passed up almost £6m since.

“It is believed that he loses a million for every race he doesn’t win,” Schumacher said. “It’s unbelievable. He was so successful last year and that’s a lot of money he’s missing out on, in addition to the fact that things aren’t going well in terms of sport anymore.”

Max Verstappen addresses the FIA’s clampdown on swearing

The lost bonuses are unlikely to bother Verstappen too much. His wage is one of the highest in all of sport regardless, and one would imagine he’ll be in line for a significantly larger windfall if he brings home the championship.

It may be the only title Red Bull win this year, with McLaren now 20 points ahead in the championship. Indeed, the bigger concern for Verstappen is the team’s trajectory.

Verstappen upset some Red Bull figures in Baku with his complaints about the car. He’s frequently lamented its poor handling over the radio.

Sometimes he expresses his frustration through expletives, much to the chagrin of FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem. But Verstappen has scoffed at the clampdown on swearing, insisting it won’t ‘change anything’ for young viewers.