Lando Norris ranks third on Highest-Paid F1 Drivers list, says he wants to “forget the season”

Max Verstappen lost the Formula 1 World Championship to Lando Norris by just a whisker, two points, to be precise, but the Red Bull star still took home the biggest paycheck of the season.

He earned around $76 million in the 2025 F1 season and justified the massive pay to the T. Forbes recently released the list of F1 drivers’ salaries and bonuses, with new title winner Lando Norris ranking third. Here’s what the fastest drivers on Earth took home this year.

Max Verstappen tops Highest-Paid F1 Drivers List, Lando Norris ranks No.3

Four-time world champion Max Verstappen dominated the 2025 F1 season not only with his performance but also with his earnings. He received a $65 million salary plus $11 million in bonuses.

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton took home a slightly lower salary of $70 million and just a $0.5 million bonus, as the Ferrari driver struggled throughout the season.New F1 champion Lando Norris ranked third on the list with a paycheck of $57.5 million. This included an $18 million salary along with a $39.5 million bonus. The McLaren star fully justified his huge bonus as he managed to snatch the championship from Verstappen and his own teammate Oscar Piastri.

Speaking about his plans for the break, Norris said he was looking forward to the FIA Awards and then the McLaren Christmas party. On his plans outside F1, he told BBC Sport, “Then I go away with all my friends. We go skiing. I get all my injuries out of the way nice and early. And just enjoy some time with the people that you've probably seen on TV a lot over the last day - my parents, my brother and my sisters, and honestly, try to forget this season.

Forget that I drive in Formula 1.”

Oscar Piastri almost won the championship in the first half of the season before Norris overtook him in the Driver Standings. The 24-year-old Australian earned $37.5 million this year, comprising a $10 million salary and a $27.5 million bonus.Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc also delivered a solid performance this season and took home a $30 million paycheck.

F1 will return next season with new regulations in place. This is expected to shake things up for some leading teams as the season kicks off with the Australian Grand Prix in March.Also Read: “It took a championship”: Internet reacts as Lando Norris and Margarida Corceiro make their relationship Instagram official