The 2026 Formula 1 (F1) season is well underway, with Mercedes' young gun Andrea Kimi Antonelli looking like the driver to beat in only his second year in the sport. However, his Mercedes teammate George Russell and Ferrari duo Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc certainly can't be discounted with so many points still up for grabs.
But which of the 22 drivers competing in the 2026 season would be topping the standings if we ranked them by net worth? Read on to discover where each driver ranks in terms of wealth – from the back of the grid to pole position – and uncover how they've made their money, both on and off the track.
All dollar amounts in US dollars.
Disclaimer: while we've done our best to provide accurate figures, it's important to note that net worths are notoriously difficult to work out given the complex combination of income and assets owned.
F1's only rookie on the 2026 grid, Arvid Lindblad is the latest in a long line of Red Bull junior drivers to be given a chance to impress in F1.
The young Englishman earned his chance after an impressive year in Formula 2 (F2) and has already proved a match for his more experienced Racing Bulls teammate, Liam Lawson.
While his F1 future looks bright, his financial situation remains clouded in mystery. As a newcomer to the sport, we can only assume his net worth is likely lower than that of his rivals – for the time being, at least.
Isack Hadjar made his F1 debut with the Racing Bulls team in 2025 and the Frenchman showed enough speed and racecraft over that season to earn himself a promotion to the senior Red Bull team for 2026. While being teammate to four-time world champion Max Verstappen might be one of the most daunting tasks in F1, Hadjar has adjusted to the increased pressure seamlessly and has not looked out of place racing towards the front of the grid.
The promotion has also come with a notable salary hike, with F1salaries.com estimating he'll earn a hefty $5 million (£3.7m) over the course of 2026. However, as he's relatively new to the sport and was on a notably lower salary in 2025, his net worth is currently estimated at a relatively modest $1 million (£745k).
Oliver "Ollie" Bearman enjoyed a stellar first full year in F1 with the Haas team, actually managing to outscore his far more experienced teammate Esteban Ocon over the course of 2025.
Now in his second season with the American-owned Haas team, the young Englishman is widely tipped to be one of the big names of F1 in the years to come. Bearman's estimated net worth stands at around $1.3 million (£970k), according to F1salaries.com.
Liam Lawson endured a difficult 2025, having been demoted from the senior Red Bull team to Racing Bulls after just two races. However, the New Zealand native has found his feet at the junior team and is scoring regular points for them in 2026.
Off the track, he reportedly profits from sponsorship deals with the likes of Rodin Cars and Bell Helmets, with the most recent net worth estimate valuing Lawson at around $2 million (£1.5m).
Gabriel Bortoleto arrived in F1 with a sky-high reputation after winning back-to-back F3 and F2 driver titles in 2023 and 2024 respectively. That stellar performance was enough to secure him a seat with the Kick Sauber team for 2025, marking the first time a Brazilian driver had competed in the sport since Felipe Massa retired in 2017.
He drives for the new Audi team in 2026 and has spent much of the season battling it out in midfield but, from a net worth perspective, Bortoleto appears closer to the back of the grid. F1salaries.com estimates his wealth at $3.2 million (£2.4m).
Bortoleto's South American compatriot Franco Colapinto endured a more stressful start to F1 life than most drivers. The Argentinian was a surprise pick to replace Logan Sergeant after he was dumped by the Williams team mid-season. Despite having hardly any of the preparation time a rookie driver would normally enjoy, Colapinto drove impressively enough to earn himself a reserve driver role at the Alpine team for 2025.
When that team then controversially demoted one of its main drivers, Jack Doohan, after a handful of races, Colapinto was once again dropped into a racing seat without any of the pre-season build-up a rookie driver would normally enjoy. To add even more pressure, Colapinto was reportedly told he had just five races to secure the seat on a more permanent basis. Despite all this, Colapinto did enough to nail down a position and, in 2026, finally enjoyed the more traditional start to a season enjoyed by drivers.
Colapinto has an estimated net worth of around $5 million (£3.7m) and boasts some significant Argentine sponsors in the form of the Globant technology company and YPF, a state-owned oil firm.
A true racing prodigy, Kimi Andrea Antonelli made his F4 debut in 2022 aged just 15. Signed as a Mercedes F1 junior driver, the team chose to skip F3 entirely and promote him straight to F2 in 2024, before signing him for the F1 team proper in 2025, aged just 18.
The Italian's first season proved to be a steep learning curve, but he's hit the ground running in 2026, winning multiple races and looking a genuine world champion contender. If he does manage to achieve that feat, he'd be by far the youngest ever driver to do so: the current record sits with Sebastian Vettell, who was 23 at the time.
While his talent is in no doubt, his net worth is something of a mystery. F1salaries.com puts his wealth at around $5 million (£3.7m), but Celebrity Net Worth estimates it is far higher at $18 million (£13.4m). The actual figure is likely to be closer the $5 million mark purely because of his young age and lack of time in the sport, but there's no question his wealth will soar in the years to come.
One of the most experienced drivers on the grid, Nico Hülkenberg made his F1 debut with Williams all the way back in 2010 and has raced for many teams since then, including Renault, Haas and Audi (who he drives for today). A hugely respected driver, the German had long been dogged by an unwanted record: no other driver had participated in as many races as him without scoring a podium. Hülkenberg was finally able to remove the monkey from his back at the 239th attempt when he finished third for Sauber at the British Grand Prix in 2025.
Away from the track, the German boasts an estimated total fortune of between $16 million and $18 million (£11.9m-£13.4m). Like many fellow motorsport stars, he further bolsters his bank balance with the help of savvy endorsement deals and has reportedly worked with brands including Rolex and Puma over the years.
Thai-British racer Alexander "Alex" Albon holds the distinction of being the second-ever Thai racer in Formula 1, as well as the first Asian driver to secure more than one podium finish (Albon has two).
Albon made his F1 debut in 2019 with the Red Bull junior team, Scuderia Toro Rosso, and received a surprise mid-season promotion to the senior team. Despite being dropped by Red Bull in 2020, he made an impressive return to the grid with Williams in 2022, marking a rare second chance in F1.
Albon's estimated net worth stands at around $20 million (£14.9m), with much of his fortune coming from his racing career. He's also profited from lucrative endorsement deals, including a brand ambassadorship with Thailand's Monsoon Valley Vineyard.
The softly spoken Oscar Piastri's calm demeanour off the track belies his fierce competitiveness on track. He arrived in the sport in 2023 as one of the few drivers to have won the F3 and F2 titles in consecutive years. While the Australian took a couple of years to get on the level of his highly-rated teammate, Lando Norris, he was involved in a mighty three-way tussle for the world championship in 2025 with Norris and Red Bull's Max Verstappen. While Piastri ultimately fell short by just 13 points, he proved he certainly belongs at the front of the grid.
Looking at his financial performance, Piastri's net worth is estimated at $20 million (£14.9m), which might seem low given he's now one of the top-rated drivers in the sport. However, it's worth remembering he's only been in the sport for a relatively short time, and his wealth is likely to soar in the coming years. As a case in point, his salary for the 2026 season is a hefty $15 million, according to F1salaries.com.
Esteban Ocon made his Formula 1 debut with the Manor Racing Team back in 2016. He's raced for several mid-table teams throughout his career and is currently with Haas. Without question, the Frenchman's career highlight came in the 2021 Hungarian grand prix when he scored a spectacular – and hugely unexpected – win while driving for Alpine.
F1salaries.com estimates he will earn an impressive $7 million (£5.2m) salary from Haas for 2026 alone, with his total net worth standing at $21 million (£15.6m). Much of his fortune is derived from a savvy endorsement portfolio and business interests. Over the years, Ocon has secured lucrative deals with brands including Microsoft and watchmaker Bell & Ross.
Having spent a year out of F1 after being dropped by Sauber in 2024, Valtteri Bottas returned to the grid with Cadillac for the 2026 season, bringing some much-needed experience to the brand-new team. The Finn first arrived in F1 in 2013 with Williams, but achieved most of his success with Mercedes, racking up 10 race wins during his five years with the German outfit.
Having spent more than a decade in the sport, Bottas has amassed a significant fortune: F1salaries.com estimates his current net worth at $30 million (£22.3m).
Motor racing is a notoriously dangerous sport, and those risks are clearer to Pierre Gasly than most. In 2014, his friend and mentor Jules Bianchi died from injuries sustained during the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix. Five years later, Gasly's childhood friend and roommate Antoine Hubert passed away soon after a horrific crash in an F2 race at Spa in Belgium.
Gasly has at least enjoyed some real high points while motor racing, most notably his unexpected win for AlphaTauri at the 2020 Italian Grand Prix. It remains his only win to date.
With an estimated net worth of $33 million (£24.6m), the Frenchman has boosted his fortune throughout his career with savvy endorsement deals. Notably, he has his own line of sunglasses with Hawkers.
George Russell arrived in F1 with a big reputation, having beaten fellow young guns Lando Norris and Alex Albon to the F2 title in 2018. Despite being signed to Mercedes, he spent his first three years in F1 driving for a struggling Williams team. He finally joined Mercedes in 2022 and performed impressively, outscoring his legendary teammate Lewis Hamilton in two of the three years they raced together. At the start of 2026, he was many pundits' favourite pick to win the driver's title in 2026.
One of the sport's biggest stars, Russell will command a salary of $34 million (£25.3m) for this year alone, according to F1salaries.com. Estimates of his total net worth vary, but numerous sources put the upper limit of his wealth at $40 million (£29.8m).
The McLaren team has shown incredible faith in Lando Norris – and he's repaid that loyalty in spades. Signed as a McLaren junior in 2017 when he was just 17 years old, the Englishman joined the F1 team in 2019 after a hard-fought battle with compatriot Russell for the F2 crown in 2018. The car developed gradually over the years and, when the car was finally good enough to win a title, Norris duly delivered in 2025.
Looking at the finances, Norris is surprisingly only the fifth-highest-paid driver on the grid for 2026 despite being the reigning world champion, according to figures from F1salaries.com. His total net worth is estimated to be as high as $40 million (£29.8m).
The son of a world champion rally car driver, Carlos Sainz Jr chose to do his racing on asphalt rather than dirt tracks. Sainz has spent more than a decade in F1 and enjoyed a successful career to date, scoring four race wins and 29 podiums – although strong results are harder to come by now that he's driving a more limited Williams car.
Outside of his racing career, he has a lucrative sponsorship portfolio that includes brands such as PlayStation and Shiseido Men. He's also been a brand ambassador for L'Oréal Men Expert since 2025. Helped by his many years earning a decent F1 salary, Sainz is thought to be worth somewhere between $47 million and $50 million (£35m-£37.3m).
Lance Stroll's mere participation in the sport continues to draw ire from some sections of the F1 fanbase on account of the fact that his father, Lawrence, is the owner of the Aston Martin team for which he drives. Despite the accusations of nepotism, Stroll has achieved some impressive results in his own right: he scored a remarkable first podium in his rookie season aged just 18 while driving for Williams and picked up another two podiums during his time with the Racing Point team (which would later be rebranded to Aston Martin).
While he's spent much of the 2026 season racing at the back of the grid, his financial performance is very much that of a front-runner. The Canadian is estimated ny numerous sources to be worth a substantial $50 million (£37.3m). In addition to his racing career, he benefits from endorsement deals with brands such as BOSS.
Charles Leclerc is widely considered to be among the fastest F1 drivers over a single lap. While he's yet to translate that blinding speed into a compelling championship title bid, the Monégasque driver did manage to finish a distant runner-up in the 2022 season. He's also picked up nine race wins to date, including a hugely popular victory at his home race of Monaco in 2024.
His total net worth is estimated at $52 million (£38.7m), with his finances further boosted by various money-spinning endorsement deals with the likes of Puma, Ray-Ban and Chivas Regal. Leclerc has also been a brand ambassador for luxury fashion house Armani for many years now.
Much like his Cadillac teammate Bottas, Sergio "Checo" Pérez rejoined the grid in 2026 after spending a year out of the sport, having been released by Red Bull after the 2024 season. The hugely experienced Mexican has racked up a total of six race wins over his career. While five of those victories were achieved with his former employers Red Bull, it was his first win – for Racing Point – that was by far the most memorable. Having been in last place at the end of the first lap of the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix, Pérez would go on to win the truly bizarre race.
Looking at the financial side of things, Pérez has been heavily backed throughout his career by Telmex, which is owned by Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim. His current net worth is thought to be as high as $75 million (£55.9m).
Max Verstappen was so young when he made his F1 debut that he wasn't legally allowed to drive to many of the circuits he was about to race on. But the 17-year-old immediately showed he was ready for the highest level with a series of impressive performances for the junior Red Bull team, then Toro Rosso. He was promoted to the senior team a year later and once again proved he was ready, remarkably winning his first-ever race for Red Bull. He would later embark on one of the most dominant runs in F1 history, winning four straight world titles between 2021 and 2024.
While not quite able to compete for the championship this year, he's very much in the podium places when it comes to his financial might. Depending on which source you trust, the Dutchman is currently worth somewhere between $200 million and $210 million (£149m-£156.5m).
To say Fernando Alsono is experienced would be an understatement. The Spaniard has competed in well over 400 races, comfortably more than any driver in F1 history. When he made his debut for the Minardi team all the way back in 2001, nine current F1 drivers were not even born yet. While he's developed something of a reputation for joining teams at the wrong time, the veteran does at least have two world championships to show for all his talent and long years in F1.
Alonso has unsurprisingly amassed a significant fortune over his career. A driver of such high skill can generally command a high wage, with F1salaries.com estimating he'll earn $24 million (£17.9m) this year alone. He's also boosted his wealth throughout his career by scoring endorsement deals with premium brands, including Adidas and Tag Heuer. His exact net worth is hard to calculate: some sources estimate it to be $200 million (£149m), while others put it as high as $400 million (£298m).
Lewis Hamilton has already achieved almost everything you can think of in his F1 career: most race wins (106), most pole positions (104), joint-most world championships (seven)... the Englishman has secured legendary status before he's even retired.
And, while there will be no trophies handed out for this particular award, he has also secured the title of richest F1 driver for 2026, with the Sunday Times Rich List putting his current wealth at a staggering £435 million ($583.4m). A global phenomenon, Hamilton can command huge sums by aligning with brands. While he's done so throughout his career, earning millions from the likes of Tommy Hilfiger, Dior and Sony, it's worth focusing on how much he makes being paid to race.
According to F1salaries.com, Hamilton will earn an incredible $70 million (£52.2m) in 2026 alone, making him the joint-highest paid driver on the grid along with Verstappen. When you consider he's been a top driver for 20 years, it's clear the F1 legend would have racked up a remarkable fortune even if he hadn't signed a single sponsorship deal.
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