Lando Norris hits financial milestone after F1 championship win
Lando Norris has discovered that claiming Formula 1’s ultimate prize comes with a substantial financial obligation, reports BritPanorama.
The 26-year-old McLaren driver must pay £893,989 to renew his FIA Super Licence following his maiden world championship triumph. Norris secured McLaren’s first drivers’ title since 2008 after accumulating 423 points during the 2025 campaign, edging out Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by just two points.
Sunday’s third-place finish at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was enough to end Verstappen’s four-year reign over the championship. The Super Licence is essential for drivers wishing to compete in Formula 1, and its cost reflects the competitive achievements of the season.
The fee structure operates on a two-tier basis, rewarding success with higher charges. For the 2026 season, every driver faces an initial payment of £10,342, an increase from the previous year’s £10,000. Additionally, competitors must pay £2,089 for each championship point accumulated, which has also risen slightly from the £2,020 charged last season.
Norris’s fee represents the largest of his career by a considerable margin, yet the newly crowned champion is likely to pay it gladly after an impressive season that included seven race victories. Verstappen’s own renewal stands at £889,811, while Oscar Piastri, who finished third in the standings just 13 points adrift, faces a bill of £866,195 for his 2026 licence.
Piastri’s fee marks an increase of approximately £300,000 compared to the prior season, underscoring his improved performance amid a thrilling three-way title battle. Norris may, in fact, owe a measure of gratitude to Verstappen for maintaining such a fierce level of competition; the Dutchman’s record-breaking campaign in 2023 resulted in a Super Licence debt exceeding £1 million for the next year.
Verstappen has previously indicated that Red Bull covers his Super Licence costs, voicing concerns over the existing arrangements. “I don’t think it’s right that we have to pay so much. It’s not the case in other sports either, and there are more and more races,” he stated.
As the dust settles on a tumultuous season, questions linger over whether McLaren will extend similar monetary support to Norris and Piastri in the future. In the world of Formula 1, where staggering financial stakes meet the thrill of speed, the balance of talent and investment remains critically intertwined.
