Max Verstappen’s stellar performance with Red Bull this season is set to cost the team a record-breaking fee ahead of the 2024 season. Thanks to Verstappen and Red Bull’s impressive run, the team is expected to cough up an entry fee in the millions for 2024.
This hefty sum is calculated based on F1 rules that determine fees for teams and their drivers based on their previous year’s performance. Red Bull’s upcoming fee of £5.89m is a significant increase from the £4.91m they paid last season. The team will have to shell out £6,245 for each point alone.
Verstappen’s dominance this season is a key reason behind the increased fee. The 26-year-old driver won 19 out of 22 races and only missed one podium, finishing fifth in Singapore. He came second in Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan, the only other races he didn’t clinch first place in.
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was the only driver outside of Red Bull to win a race this year. Overall, Red Bull comfortably won the Constructors Championship with a whopping 860 points. Mercedes trailed in second place with 409 points, just three ahead of Ferrari.
In total, Red Bull claimed victory in 21 of 22 possible races, with Sainz and Ferrari being the only other driver and manufacturer to win a race, preventing Red Bull from having a perfect season. This means a staggering 860 points has contributed to a hefty fee.
Verstappen ended the 2023 season with a whopping 575 points, a staggering 290 points more than his teammate Sergio Perez (285). To put it into perspective, the gap between Verstappen in first place and Perez in second is nearly as big as the difference between Perez and Nyck De Vries in 22nd place.
The Dutch racing star also made history by becoming the first F1 driver to lead for over 1,000 laps in a single season. His impressive tally of 54 wins puts him third on the all-time list, trailing behind Michael Schumaker (91) and Lewis Hamilton (103).
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And in further joining the ranks of Hamilton and Schumacher, Verstappen became one of the only drivers to complete every lap in a single season. In the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the 26-year-old finished a massive 17 seconds ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in second place, while George Russell of Mercedes claimed the final podium spot in third.
Verstappen rounded off the season with a seven-race winning streak, starting with victory in Japan back in September. But it’s not just Red Bull who will be facing higher fees in 2024. Aston Martin is expected to fork out £2.82m next year, a rise from the £1.16m they paid this season, according to Speedcafe.com.
With Verstappen and Red Bull showing no signs of slowing down, the manufacturer could see its fees continue to soar. However, if they keep up their winning streak, the bosses won’t mind shelling out more to maintain this high standard of excellence.
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