Red Bull to pay Verstappen's highest-ever F1 license bill
Dec.20 - World champion Max Verstappen has copped the highest-ever bill for a Formula 1 super license in the sport's history.
The credential, of course, is mandatory - and the cost for the driver is calculated on the basis of a base amount plus extra for every single point.
In the end, it left Dutchman Verstappen with a EUR 963,800 bill - compared to 657,200 for Charles Leclerc, 650,900 for Charles Leclerc and just over 500,000 for Lewis Hamilton, according to Servus TV.
Race winner Max Verstappen poses for a photo with Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner and Red Bull Racing Team Consultant Dr Helmut Marko following the 2022 F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi
Dr Helmut Marko, however, said the team is actually picking up the bill on top of Red Bull's more than $6 million team entry fee for next year which was described by boss Christian Horner as "incredible".
"I didn't realise how much we had to pay the FIA for the points," he said.
As for Verstappen, though, it appears as though his dominance this year will at least not cost him a dime.
"As far as I know," Marko said, "his contract states that we have to pay it."
Retired quadruple world champion Sebastian Vettel was also asked about the FIA's bills.
"Absurd," said the German. "I don't know how common that is in other sports.
"And there are always more and more races but nobody talks about that."
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Seems like 7M is the Fias favourite number, 7M for this 7M for that, and the Fia talk about Overspend....!?!?!
It's all about Vegas! Lucky no.7 is everywhere! Hahaha
We should demand to know where these massive amounts of money are being spent. What a debacle. FIA collect the many millions and doesn't reveal to the public where the money is being expended.
It is public money, after all, whether you look at direct contributions or indirect contributions.
Huge amount o money floating around in our sport, both directions. Who do you think is paying for all of this excess? Check the price of a friggin' general admission stamp for a F1 race, or your cable bill to watch on tv.
To point of article. Only sport in the world where you are financially punished in proportion to your success.
Surely that's not correct, where is the incentive in that if the world champion has to pay more for his super license than anyone else,, IMO he shouldn't have to pay anything if he's world champion, just saying, seems a bit ass about face.
Seems right to me, the more you pay the more you get. C’mon Don keep up.
They’ve had some big expenses, MM has a huge pension to fund, only fair that RB should donate a little towards it. Then there’s all the new officials and CW’s funeral to organise and pay for....
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