How much does an F1 winner get?

How Much Does an F1 Winner Get? Unpacking the Prize Money Puzzle.

When you watch an F1 race, the thrill of a last-lap overtake and the glory of a podium finish are what captivate fans worldwide. Yet behind every chequered flag lies a far more complex financial landscape.
Unlike many sports that hand out a fixed prize check for a win, Formula 1 operates on a season-long prize system that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars among the teams—based not solely on race wins but on a variety of performance and legacy factors.

In this blog, we’ll break down the latest details of the F1 prize system as of 2025. While many specifics remain confidential under the terms of the Concorde Agreement, here’s what we know.

The Season-Long Prize Pool

No One-Off Payday

In Formula 1, there’s no magic “win this race and collect $X million” bonus. Instead, the sport generates a massive revenue pool—estimated in 2025 at around $1.1 billion for the season—which is distributed among the teams according to several key criteria. This structure not only rewards on-track performance but also takes into account the teams’ historical contributions to the sport.

The Role of the Concorde Agreement

The distribution of this prize money is governed by the Concorde Agreement—a series of contracts between the teams and the commercial rights holder. The current iteration, recently updated for the modern economic landscape of F1, balances equal-share payments with performance-based incentives. Although the exact details are confidential, the system is generally broken down into two major components: Column 1 and Column 2 payments, with additional bonus payments for historically significant teams.

Breaking Down the Prize Money Structure

1. Column 1 Payments: The Base Reward

Column 1 payments form the foundation of the prize money and are distributed relatively evenly among teams that have finished in the top 10 over the past two seasons. This part of the payout ensures that teams with consistent performance—and who have helped maintain F1’s global appeal—receive a baseline level of funding, regardless of the fluctuations in any single season.

2. Column 2 Payments: Performance-Based Rewards

Column 2 is where the season’s on-track results come into sharp focus. These payments are allocated based on the current season’s Constructors’ Championship standings. In essence, the higher a team finishes over the season, the larger their share of Column 2 becomes. So while a single race win is celebrated, it’s the cumulative points across all races that determine the ultimate financial reward. Recent reports suggest that the top team in the Constructors’ Championship could secure a share nearing or even exceeding 30% of the total prize pool when all performance-related factors are considered.

3. Special Bonus Payments

Beyond the columns, there are additional “bonus” payments that go to teams with longstanding contributions and historical significance in the sport. These extra payments are designed to acknowledge the legacy and brand value that teams like Ferrari, McLaren, and others have built over decades. Although these figures are not publicly disclosed, they remain a critical—and sometimes contentious—element of the overall payout structure.

What Does a Race Win Mean for the Team?

It’s important to stress that a single race win doesn’t trigger a discrete, one-off payment. Instead, every win, podium, and even strategic call that earns points contributes to the season-long race for prize money. The individual races are essentially stepping stones that build a team’s overall standing in the Constructors’ Championship—and it’s this standing that unlocks the larger share of the prize pool.

And What About the Drivers?

While the spotlight often shines on drivers for their dramatic race wins, they are not direct beneficiaries of the prize money distributed by F1’s governing bodies. Drivers receive salaries and performance bonuses as negotiated with their teams. That said, a driver’s ability to secure wins and podiums is vital in boosting the team’s overall performance, which in turn can enhance the team’s share of the prize money. In this way, drivers play an indirect yet indispensable role in the financial success of their teams.

The Bigger Picture in 2025

The F1 prize system is a sophisticated mechanism designed to balance short-term performance with long-term legacy. In 2025, as the sport continues to grow—bolstered by increased global viewership and innovative digital revenue streams—the prize pool has seen a notable increase. The refined Concorde Agreement now better reflects modern financial realities while still ensuring that consistency, strategic excellence, and historical contributions are all rewarded.

This evolving structure not only sustains competitive balance but also fuels the ongoing investment in technology, talent, and global marketing that makes F1 the pinnacle of motorsport.