Okay, so, I’ve been digging into this whole F1 thing lately, and it’s pretty wild. I mean, we all see the big stars like Hamilton and Verstappen, but what about the guys who are always waiting in the wings? The reserve drivers. How much do these guys actually make? That’s what I wanted to find out.
First off, I started with a simple search, just to get a general idea. What I found is that it’s not as straightforward as you might think. There’s no set salary for an F1 reserve driver. It’s all over the place.
Then, I started reading about some specific cases. I came across the name Stoffel Vandoorne. Apparently, he’s been the official test driver for Mercedes since 2020. He’s got a ton of F1 experience, and now he’s racing in Formula E. This got me thinking, if a guy like Vandoorne, with all his experience, is a reserve driver, what does that mean for his paycheck?
I learned that reserve drivers are actually part of the team. They’re not just hanging around. They get a salary, but the teams usually don’t say how much. It’s all very hush-hush.
But then I hit the jackpot. I found some actual numbers, though they’re still pretty broad. Some sources said that reserve drivers can earn anywhere from around $100,000 to $1 million a year. That’s a huge range! And get this, some of them actually bring their own money or sponsors to the table, just to secure their spot. That’s wild, right?
I also found some info on the lowest salaries for regular F1 drivers in 2024. Logan Sargeant from Williams and Yuki Tsunoda from RB are both making $1 million. Sargeant, the only American on the grid, had a tough rookie season last year. He only scored one point and didn’t finish seven out of 22 races. And then there was the Red Bull, the highest-paying team, was said to pay a driver $2.1 million for the year. Makes sense, they have the most money and also the lowest-paid driver is part of the Red Bull family.
My Takeaways:
- Reserve driver salaries are all over the place, from $100,000 to $1 million.
- Some reserve drivers pay to play, bringing their own money or sponsors.
- Even the lowest-paid regular F1 drivers are making a million bucks.
So, there you have it. That’s what I found out about how much an F1 reserve driver makes. It’s a crazy world, and even the guys on the sidelines are making some serious bank. Still, it’s a tough gig, always waiting for your chance, and sometimes even paying for the privilege. But hey, it’s F1, and it’s all part of the game.
