Even in F1 there is an entry fee: Norris and Verstappen exceed one million euros

How much it costs to win Sometimes you don’t think about it, but the Formula 1 World Championship also has an entry fee for participating drivers, just like any other ‘minor’ championship. Except that in the golden world of the Circus the figures circulating are not exactly those of your karting championship on Thursday evenings. According to FIA regulations, in order to register for the following season, drivers are charged a base fee plus an additional amount for each point obtained in the World Championship during the previous year. In 2026, the basic fee established by the Federation for obtaining the super license necessary to race in Formula 1 is 11,842 euros, with a supplement of 2,392 euros for each point obtained in the 2025 season. Even without being an ace in mathematics, a good calculator is therefore enough to establish how much each driver on the grid in 2026 will have to pay to the FIA ​​to compete. Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, separated by just two points ahead of the Englishman at the end of last season, are the only two drivers to exceed the million euro mark: the new world champion from McLaren will have to write a check for €1,023,658 to the FIA, while the four-time world champion will pay €1,018,874 into the federal coffers. Third in the World Championship, a short distance from the first two, came Oscar Piastri: the Australian with his 410 points collected comes one step away from the million and will have to pay €999,562. The complete table Driver Pos.Points 2025Registration cost 20261Lando Norris423€1,023,6582Max Verstappen421€1,018,8743Oscar Piastri410€999,5624George Russell319€774,8905Charles Leclerc242€590,7066Lewis Hamilton156€384.9947Kimi Antonelli150€370.6428Alexander Albon73€184.4589Carlos Sainz64€164.93010Fernando Alonso56€145.79411Nico Hülkenberg51€133.83412Isack Hadjar51€133.83413Oliver Bearman41€109.01414Liam Lawson38€102.73815Esteban Ocon38€102.73816Lance Stroll33€90.77817Pierre Gasly22€64.46618Gabriel Bortoleto19€57.29019Franco Colapinto0€11.842Arvid Lindblad–€11,842Sergio Pérez–€11,842Valtteri Bottas–€11,842 Here you can find the complete list of drivers who will participate in the 2026 World Championship with their respective estimated entry costs. Naturally, the returns of Valtteri Bottas, Sergio Perez and the debut of rookie Arvid Lindblad stand out. For them the entry fee will be only €11,842, as they will not race a GP in 2025. Franco Colapinto will also pay the same amount: the Argentinian took part in 18 races last year, but without ever obtaining any world championship points.