OSCAR PIASTRI IS SET FOR A MAJOR PAYDAY AS THE HIGHEST-PAID F1 DRIVERS OF 2025 ARE REVEALED
He may have missed out on winning his debut Formula One World Championship this year, but Oscar Piastri is set to receive a bumper payday, according to reports.
The 24-year-old Australian praised his team-mate Lando Norris on Sunday evening as the Englishman won his maiden World Championship.
Having toiled with Norris all year, ultimately, there was heartache for the McLaren driver, who cut a glum figure in the paddock after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, reflecting on what could have been as Norris was crowned champion.
Piastri is set for a bumper payday, according to Forbes, who claim that the Australian driver, will pocket a whopping A$41.3million bonus, which will supplement his A$15m salary.
It means, from this season, the young Aussie will bank a cumulative A$56m, putting him fourth on the list of the highest paid drivers in 2025.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen sits top of the list, with the Dutchman's salary sitting at A$97.56m, with Verstappen, who equalled Piastri for seven victories this season, banking a A$16.5m bonus.
After putting pen to paper on a bumper new deal to join Ferrari earlier this year, Lewis Hamilton placed second in the ladder, even after branding his first year with the Italian outfit a 'nightmare', after failing to secure a podium finish this season.
The 40-year-old Brit took home a A$104m salary and a bonus of A$749,000 after he finished sixth in the Drivers' Standings.
Norris banked a whopping A$59.2m bonus after he claimed the World Championship, with the 26-year-old Englishman, who was seen partying the night away on Sunday, also taking home a A$26.9m salary putting him third on the list.
With Piastri finishing in fourth, Charles Leclerc placed fifth in the rich list, closely followed by Fernando Alonso, George Russell, Lance Stroll and Carlos Sainz. Nineteen-year-old Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli made the final spot in the top-10, with a salary of A$7.5m and a bonus of A$11.25m.
Piastri, meanwhile, hoped that McLaren could continue to treat their drivers with 'fairness and equality' in the 2026 season, after claims had arisen that they had favoured the British driver at points during the 2025 season.
Some raised eyebrows at the Italian Grand Prix in September, when Piastri was asked by McLaren's racing directors to cede back second place to Norris, after the Englishman had endured a slow pit stop. However McLaren have vehemently denied any favouritism.
'For me, he's obviously had a great season this year and a deserving champion, but he's still Lando Norris. It's not like he's become Superman,' Piastri said to Sky Sports F1, speaking on Norris, when asked whether the Brit's new title as the reigning Formula One Champion would change anything next year.
'I don't think things will change with that. I'm expecting full fairness from the team and equality going forward.
| Driver | Salary | Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Max Verstappen | $97.56m | $16.5m |
| 2. Lewis Hamilton | $104m | $749,000 |
| 3. Lando Norris | $26.9m | $59.2m |
| 4. Oscar Piastri | $15m | $41.3m |
| 5. Charles Leclerc | $44.9m | $0 |
| 6. Fernando Alonso | $35.99m | $3.75m |
| 7. George Russell | $22.49m | $16.49m |
| 8. Lance Stroll | $17.99m | $2.25m |
| 9. Carlos Sainz | $14.99m | $4.50m |
| 10. Kimi Antonelli | $7.5m | $11.25 |
'I don't have any concerns that that will change at all. Clearly, Lando's had a very strong season this year, and ultimately did a better job.'
Reflecting on winning his debut championship, Norris, stated that there was more room for improvement.
'I hope it doesn't change anything I do, the way I think, the way I do things,' Norris said.
'I believe I won the championship this year my way – by being a fair driver, by trying to be an honest driver.
'At times, could I have been more aggressive and got off the brakes and had a few people over? I certainly could have done, and maybe I would need to do more of that in the future. But did I need to do it this year? Is that the way I want to go racing? Is that me? It's not.
'And I'm sure if you compare me, if that's what you wanna do, to all the champions: have I been as aggressive as them at times? No. Have I been as daring as them at times? No. But did I do just what I needed to do to win the World Championship?
'Did I perform consistently? Did I perform when I needed to under the most pressure? Post-Zandvoort, did I come back in the way I had to? Did I have three, four weekends of great results? I did. And I performed when I needed to perform to win the World Championship this season. And in the end, that's what I needed to do. That's all I needed to do.'
He added: '[There are] plenty of moments to learn from. I feel like I'm a better driver now, certainly, than I was at the beginning of the season. But everyone's going to do it.
'And when I'm racing against Max, a four-time World Champion, when I'm racing against Oscar, a guy who at some point in the future will probably beat me and be a World Champion, I'm performing, and I'm having to perform against the best in the world. I look forward to plenty more times like that.
'I need to understand what I can do better, how can I do better, how can I perform more consistently against them and learn from them? And I feel like I did that this year, and I've got to do that even more next year if I want to retain what we've been able to achieve this year.'
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