F1 salaries: Who are the highest-paid drivers of 2024?

Longest season in Formula One history, with 24 races, begins in Bahrain this weekend

Race winner and world champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull celebrates on the podium after his victory in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit on November 26, 2023. Getty Images

Race winner Max Verstappen with his Red Bull team after the race. Getty Images

Fireworks explode after Max Verstappen wins the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. UAE Presidential Court

Red Bull's Dutch driver Max Verstappen celebrates his victory. AFP

Rd Bull's Max Verstappen crosses the finish line to win the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. EPA

Red Bull's Max Verstappen takes the chequered flag to win the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Getty Images

Red Bull's Dutch driver Max Verstappen celebrates on the podium with second place Charles Leclerc, left, of Ferrari and Mercedes' George Russell who was third. AFP

Max Verstappen performs donuts after winning. EPA

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen after the race. AP

Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing celebrates after winning the race. EPA

Winner Max Verstappen shakes hands with second-placed Charles Leclerc of Ferrari. Reuters

Red Bull's Max Verstappen celebrates winning the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. AFP

Charles Leclerc of Ferrari during the race. Getty Images

Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton during the race. AFP

The Al Fursan aerobatic team and an Etihad plane perform a flyover prior to the race at Yas Marina Circuit. UAE Presidential Court

The 2024 Formula One season is nearly upon us and it is set to be an epic campaign in more ways than one.

With 24 races in the calendar, this is going to be the longest season in F1 history. And it begins in Bahrain on Saturday, with the finale in Abu Dhabi in December.

As has been the case over the past few seasons, the main talking point this time will also be whether anyone can challenge the supremacy of Red Bull and triple world champion Max Verstappen.

Red Bull dominated last year, winning 21 of the 22 races, Verstappen clinching 19 of them. And the chances of them continuing their dominance are high after encouraging pre-season testing and stable, unchanged regulations.

The only cause for concern will be off the track, with long-serving team boss Christian Horner facing allegations by an employee about his conduct and awaiting news of his future at the team.

There were big developments further down the grid, with seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton going into his last season with Mercedes ahead of joining Ferrari next year. The 39-year-old hopes Ferrari will provide him with a competitive car, something that Mercedes have been unable to do for the past two years.

There are a few other changes as well. China returns to the F1 roster for the first time since 2019, while Italy's iconic Imola track is back after last year's race was cancelled due to flooding.

Surprisingly, there are no rookie drivers and no changes to line-ups since the season finale in Abu Dhabi last year.

What has also not changed is the incredible salaries of the top drivers. F1 is an extremely expensive sport with budgets of top teams running into hundreds of millions of dollars, and the financial returns for winning equally substantial. Only the best make the cut in the ultra-competitive, technology heavy world of F1 and the best drivers get paid accordingly.

Below is the list of the highest-paid drivers on the grid for 2024, according to spotrac.com and racingnews365.com.

F1 driver salaries for 2024

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull): $55 million

2. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes): $45 million

3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari): $34 million

4. Lando Norris (McLaren): $20 million

5. George Russell (Mercedes): $18 million

=5. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin): $18 million

7. Sergio Perez (Red Bull): $14 million

8. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari): $12 million

9. Valtteri Bottas (Kick Sauber): $10 million

10. Daniel Ricciardo (Visa Cash App RB): $7 million

11. Esteban Ocon (Alpine): $6 million

=11. Pierre Gasly (Alpine): $6 million

=11. Oscar Piastri (McLaren): $6 million

14. Kevin Magnussen (Haas): $5 million

15. Alex Albon (Williams): $3 million

=15. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin): $3 million

17. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas): $2 million

=17. Guanyu Zhou (Kick Sauber): $2 million

19. Yuki Tsunoda (Visa Cash App RB): $1 million

=19. Logan Sargeant (Williams): $1 million