Red Bull Foots the Bill for Verstappen’s Historic Win
Formula 1 prodigy Max Verstappen is set to face a staggering $2.13 million success fee following his remarkable triumph in this year’s championship. The 2023 season saw the Dutch sensation clinch his third consecutive title, leaving his closest competitor, Sergio Perez, trailing with less than half the points.
Verstappen’s dominance was evident as he secured victory in 19 out of the 22 races this season, each win contributing at least 25 points, along with an additional point for the fastest lap. The FIA imposes a fee for every point earned, as part of the mandatory annual super license required for Formula 1 participation.
Accumulating an unprecedented 575 points, a record in F1 history, Verstappen’s victory comes at a cost of approximately $3662 (€2,100) per point. However, there’s a twist: Red Bull Racing will shoulder the financial burden instead of Verstappen personally covering the expenses.
Verstappen expressed his views on the “absurd” cost, particularly in the context of an expanding race calendar. Despite his discomfort with the fees, the Red Bull team is relieved as the super license expenses remain outside the purview of the heavily scrutinized budget cap.
Team principal Christian Horner acknowledged the unique situation, stating, “It’s a luxury problem to have because we’ve had to score the points to generate the invoice. Thankfully, it’s outside of the budget cap. But yeah, it’s a big cheque to be writing to the FIA.”
The FIA stands to collect a substantial sum from drivers across the board, with Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez facing a $1 million (€608,900) fee, followed by Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, who owes $880,000 (€501,800). In total, the FIA anticipates pocketing $9.45 million (€5,396,900) in super license fees from the entire driver pool.
