Verstappen criticises FIA: 'Paying 27 million is absurd'

Formula 1 teams and drivers are a cash cow for the FIA. For every point the drivers conquer, there will follow a bill from the international autosport federation. Having a super licence - necessary to drive in F1 - also costs lots of money. Bad news for teams and drivers: the bill will get even higher in 2023.

According to information from Motorsport-Total the FIA collects almost $27 million in 2023 for the licences and points Formula 1 drivers get. World champion Red Bull Racing reportedly has to pay a total of eight million dollars this year. "Absurd," Max Verstappen says of that amount, adding that he does not want to complain. In his contract it says that his team will cover the cost of the super licence and the number of points scored. In total, it is probably eight million dollars that Red Bull has to pay for Verstappen and Perez.

A super licence costs $16,236 a year. This includes insurance. For every point the driver fetches, $2,100 is also added. By the way, that is a big increase compared to a year earlier. Back then, 'only' $1,623 had to be remitted to the FIA for each point gained.

Critics complain about the ever-increasing fees that have to be paid. Indeed, it is not only the price per point that is rising, but the number of Grands Prix is also growing steadily. The more races, the more points there are to win and thus the more the FIA earns.