The only downside of the successful 2023 champions’ record is the 8.6 million euros that Red Bull will have to fork out to simply be part of the field in 2024.
It is the price of success imposed by an FIA at odds with many teams, not least because of this monumental bite into the teams’ coffers.
Between the base fee, the bonus of being champions in their respective categories, and the staggering number of victories, doubles and points, the amount will be more expensive than the previous year’s penalty (7 million euros) for exceeding the spending limit.
It’s also more than the price to be paid by the second and third together, Mercedes and Ferrari.
Verstappen will face a total of 1.2 million euros to pay after his 19 victories, starting from the base, which is 10,400 euros as initial cost and 2,100 euros for each point, and he had 575, a record.
Behind him is Checo Perez, runner-up, with 608,900 euros.
Red Bull usually pays for Max, but nothing has been said about Checo, at least officially.
Fernando Alonso, has the fourth highest fee, 443,000 euros and Carlos Sainz in seventh at 430,000 euros.
The last one is Logan Sargeant, and his meager point, will be 12,500 euros.
This is a controversial issue since it is a source of money for the FIA.
“I don’t think it’s right that we have to pay so much,” Max said.
“It doesn’t happen in other sports either. And there are more and more races.”
The price of fines has also been increased, in this new era in which the FIA is looking for new forms of financing, as it has an “unsustainable” financial deficit, and increasingly, to the teams, for this and many other reasons, such as permanent interference in how to run the championship as a promoter.
Red Bull must also fork out to race
So the 1.8 million euros for the drivers joins the team’s already known amount after sweeping 860 points this season from the double and 21 victories in 22 races.
Thus, the champions face a base fee of 601,105 euros and in their case not 6,000 euros per point like all the teams, but 7,212 euros for being champions.
In other words, each point, for which they pay twice, is worth 9,300 euros.
The total is already known: 6.8 million euros for defending their championship.
Mercedes and Ferrari, almost equal in points between them, will pay just over three million euros and Aston Martin, in fifth, will have to pay 2.2 million euros to race.
The lowest ranking team, Haas with 12 points in 2023, will contribute 673,200 euros.
“It’s a luxury problem, which, fortunately, is outside the budget limit, but, yes, it’s a big check for the FIA,” Christian Horner reflected.
