This weekend sees a new Formula One season get underway, with the world’s most amazing drivers getting behind the wheel for the Australian Grand Prix.
F1 racing is one of the most glamorous and dangerous sports in the world - but with great risk comes great reward.
Top drivers can become fabulously wealthy, with multi-million pound contracts offered by the top car manufacturers to race - and win - for their team.
Add in money-spinning advertising and sponsorship deals, personal appearances and shrewd investments, and these race heroes can bank serious amounts of cash.
Even after retiring from driving, media work and getting involved in the technical side of (or even owning) a Formula One team can keep the money rolling in.
Here are the top 12 Formula One drivers in the world in 2026, according to CelebrityNetWorth.
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5. Max Verstappen - $200 million
Dutch racer Max Verstappen won a remarkable four consecutive Drivers Championships with Red Bull Racing from 2021 to 2024. In total he has won 71 Grands Prix across 11 seasons and amassed a fortune estimated at $200 million. Last year saw him come second in the Drivers Championship, so he'll be hoping to go one better in 2026. | Getty Images
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6. Jenson Button - $150 million
British driver Jenson Button is most recenetly competed in the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship with Hertz Team Jota. He won the 2009 Formula One Drivers' World Championship with Brawn GP team and later became champion of the 2018 season of the Super GT Series. With 15 F1 wins and 50 podium places, he has a net worth of around $150 million. | AFP via Getty Images
7. Sebastian Vettel - $140 million
German driver Sebastian Vettel raced for F1 teams BMW Sauber, Toro Rosso, Red Bull, Ferrari and Aston Martin between 2007 and 2022. He has four Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles to his name, won consecutively from 2010 to 2013. In 2010 he became the youngest world champion in the history of the sport. He won 53 races and had 122 podium places. His fortune is estimated at $140 million. | Getty Images
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8. Mario Andretti - $130 million
Mario Andretti won the F1 Drivers' Championship in 1978 and is the only driver to have won that title along with the Indianapolis 500 and Daytona 500. He is also one of only three drivers to have won races in Formula One, IndyCar, the World Sportscar Championship, and NASCAR. He's worth an estimated $130 million. | AFP via Getty Images