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  "path": "/sport/f1/f1-best-paid-drivers-2026",
  "publishedAt": "2026-03-02T08:04:46.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.gbnews.com",
  "tags": [
    "Mikel Arteta sets record straight on his 'black eye' after gritty Arsenal win over Chelsea",
    "Leeds United's potential punishments after fans booed Ramadan break during Premier League match with Man City",
    "Sky Sports forced to apologise after football fan's actions during live interview",
    "Sign up for our FREE Sports newsletter here",
    "The GB News Editorial Charter"
  ],
  "textContent": "\n\n\nAfter three months with no races, Formula One returns with a bang this Sunday.\n\nThe first grand prix of the season will take place in Melbourne, Australia, with the usual suspects eyeing the prize.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nLando Norris is aiming to make it two titles on the trot, having spectacularly secured glory at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix back in December.\n\nBut Max Verstappen, a four-time world champion, will be out for revenge after narrowly missing out on that occasion.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nTRENDING\n\nStories\n\nVideos\n\nYour Say\n\nLewis Hamilton enters the new campaign looking to silence his critics after a difficult first season at Ferrari.\n\nAnd Oscar Piastri, who finished third last season, has enough about him to compete at the very top.\n\nBut who is the best-paid driver? GB News now takes you through the top 10, what they take home and what makes them, in the eyes of their teams at least, worth the money.\n\n### 1) Max Verstappen (Red Bull)\n\n\n\n\nThe reigning benchmark of the grid, Verstappen, continues to command the highest total package in the sport at an estimated £55million.\n\nHis long-term commitment to Red Bull Racing, which currently runs through 2028, ensures he remains the best-rewarded athlete in F1 history.\n\nWhile his base retainer is a staggering £47m, the Dutchman's contract is heavily bolstered by performance-related incentives, estimated at roughly £8m for 2026, reflecting his consistent ability to deliver victories and championships for the Milton Keynes-based outfit.\n\n### LATEST SPORTS NEWS:\n\n\n\n\n  * Mikel Arteta sets record straight on his 'black eye' after gritty Arsenal win over Chelsea\n  * Leeds United's potential punishments after fans booed Ramadan break during Premier League match with Man City\n  * Sky Sports forced to apologise after football fan's actions during live interview\n\n\n\n### 2) Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)\n\n\n\n\nNow firmly established in his tenure with Scuderia Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton takes the second spot with estimated earnings of £51m.\n\nUnlike his rivals, Hamilton’s deal is reportedly structured around a massive flat base salary of £50m, making him the highest-guaranteed earner before any bonuses are considered.\n\nHis move to Maranello has been a commercial masterstroke for both parties; beyond his driving duties, the seven-time champion's contract is said to involve significant investment into his charitable foundations and long-term brand legacy.\n\n### 3) Lando Norris\n\n\n\n\nNorris has rocketed into the upper echelon of F1's earners following his 2025 World Championship triumph.\n\nHis 2026 package is estimated at £41m, though its structure differs sharply from the veterans above him.\n\nNorris earns a relatively modest base of £13m, but his championship-winning form has triggered a phenomenal £28m in performance bonuses.\n\nHaving signed a long-term extension that keeps him at Woking until at least 2027, Norris is now the undisputed cornerstone of McLaren's resurgence.\n\n### 4) Oscar Piastri\n\n\n\n\nThe meteoric rise of Oscar Piastri is reflected in his £27m estimated earnings for the 2026 season.\n\nMirroring his teammate’s incentive-heavy structure, Piastri receives a £7m base salary, which is more than tripled by an estimated £20m in bonuses following McLaren's recent Constructors' Championship success.\n\nHis rapid development into a race winner has prompted McLaren to secure his services with a bumper new contract that reportedly rivals the upper tier of the grid, ensuring the team retains the most expensive, and productive, young duo in the paddock.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n**Sign up for our FREE Sports newsletter here**\n\n### 5) Charles Leclerc\n\n\n\n\nRounding out the top five is Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, with a reported flat salary of £21m.\n\nWhile his total figure sits below his teammate Hamilton, Leclerc’s contract is notable for its stability, consisting entirely of a guaranteed base with no reported performance bonuses for the 2026 cycle.\n\nHaving been a staple of the Ferrari family since 2019, Leclerc's current multi-year agreement reportedly includes \"step-up\" clauses that will see his earnings continue to climb toward the £40m mark as he approaches the end of the decade.\n\n### Who else makes the top 10?\n\n\n\n\n6. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin): £19m.\n\n7. George Russell (Mercedes): £18m.\n\n8. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin): £9m.\n\n9. Carlos Sainz (Williams): £9m\n\n10. Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes): £9m\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n**Our Standards:The GB News Editorial Charter **",
  "title": "F1's best-paid drivers as Lando Norris, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton eye Australian Grand Prix glory"
}