F1 News: Max Verstappen To Be Hit With Staggering Fee After Fourth Championship Title

Max Verstappen faces a super license fee of €1.02 million following his fourth Formula 1 championship title.

Nov 21, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Oracle Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen (1) arrives before practice for the Las Vegas Grand Prix at Las Vegas Circuit. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Max Verstappen, who secured his fourth championship in 2024, is set to face a staggering super licence fee for the 2025 season.

In Formula 1, drivers must renew their super licenses annually as a mandatory requirement set by the sport's governing body, the FIA. The super license fees are structured with a base amount that all drivers must pay, which for the upcoming season, stands at €11,453. Beyond this base fee, there is an additional charge per point scored in the previous season, making high performance in the sport directly proportional to higher fees. The fee for each point is €2,313. Given his 437 points, this translates into a fee of €1,022,234.

Although the base fee and fee per point have increased, this is roughly €300,000 less than what the Dutch driver had to pay for the 2024 season due to his insane 19 Grand Prix victories in 2023.

The 2024 season saw Verstappen fight off strong competition from McLaren's Lando Norris and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. Although Red Bull started the year off by continuing its impressive form from 2023, McLaren saw a sharp increase in performance after bringing in upgrades. Both Norris and his teammate Oscar Piastri celebrated their maiden Formula 1 wins, and the team went on to secure the Constructors' title.

On the other hand, Verstappen's teammate Sergio Perez finished the season down in eighth position after struggling with upgrades on the RB20. As a result, the Mexican driver only secured 152 points.

After responding to his exceptionally high fee for the 2024 season, Verstappen confirmed that the team covers the cost of the super licence but argued that there should be a rule change surrounding this. He explained at the time:

“The team pays that, fortunately. I do think there should be some normal ratio in that. But you know, things like that get written down, and I don't think anybody expected that there would end up being that many points scored."

Top 10 2025 Super Licence Fees

1. Max Verstappen - 437 points - €1,022,234
2. Lando Norris - 374 points - €876,515
3. Charles Leclerc - 356 points - €834,881
4. Oscar Piastri - 292 points - €686,849
5. Carlos Sainz - 290 points - €682,223
6. George Russell - 245 points - €578,138
7. Lewis Hamilton - 223 points - €527,252
8. Sergio Perez - 152 points - €363,029
9. Fernando Alonso - 70 points - €173,363
10. Pierre Gasly - 42 points - €108,599